Latest news with #117thBrigade
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sumy, Luhansk oblasts governors dismissed
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated. The Ukrainian government approved the dismissal of Volodymyr Artiukh as the Sumy Oblast governor and of Artem Lysohor as the Luhansk Oblast governor, said Taras Melnychuk, the government's representative in parliament, on April 15. Artiukh's dismissal comes amid accusations that the governor planned a military awards ceremony in Sumy on April 13, the same day that Russia launched a deadly missile attack that killed 35 people and injured around 120. Artiukh has confirmed the plans for the event but denied responsibility for initiating it. Melnychuk did not immediately comment on the reasons for the dismissals. Oleksii Kharchenko will take over as the Luhansk Oblast governor, and Oleh Hryhorov was appointed governor of Sumy Oblast. Artiukh has faced mounting scrutiny after Konotop Mayor Artem Semenikhin accused him of inadvertently creating a pretense for a Russian attack. The mayor argued that the governor's plan to hand out awards to soldiers of the 117th Brigade on April 13 created an undue risk to both civilian residents and military personnel. Russia reportedly deployed cluster munitions in heavily populated areas in an attack that was broadly denounced as a war crime. Members of the Sumy Regional Administration Council submitted a motion of no-confidence against the governor on April 14. Artiukh, a 66-year-old soldier and politician, was born in Amur Oblast in the USSR's Far East and previously served as the deputy head of the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces. He had held the post of the Sumy Oblast governor since April 2023. Read also: 'Panic, screams, dead everywhere' — Sumy in shock after double-tap missile attack kills 35 We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sumy Oblast governor confirms award ceremony plans ahead of Russian strike but denies responsibility
Sumy Oblast Governor Volodymyr Artiukh said he was invited to a military awards ceremony in Sumy planned for the same day when Russia launched a deadly attack but denied initiating the event in comments for the Suspilne outlet published on April 14. Russia launched a devastating missile attack against the Sumy city center on Palm Sunday on April 13, killing 35 people and injuring more than 100. It marked one of the worst attacks against the northeastern city throughout the full-scale war. Artem Semenikhin, the mayor of the Sumy Oblast city of Konotop, accused Artiukh of planning an awards ceremony for the 117th Brigade in the regional center on the same day, thus posing undue risk to civilians and military personnel. "It wasn't my initiative. I was invited," Artiukh told Suspilne, without commenting on who was behind the planned event. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims, and the Ukrainian military and security services have not commented on the accusations. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed the missile struck the command center of the Siversk operational-tactical group in the city, without providing evidence. Moscow has repeatedly made unsubstantiated claims about targeting military targets while striking civilian areas. Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink said that Russia deployed cluster munitions during the attack against Sumy's heavily populated areas. These weapons are designed to maximize casualties by dispersing hundreds of smaller "bomblets" in a wide area upon impact and have been used on multiple occasions by Russia against Ukrainian cities and towns. European leaders have denounced the attack as a war crime and an evidence of Russia's rejection of peace efforts. The strike took place as Moscow continues to reject a 30-day truce, previously supported by Kyiv. Read also: 'Panic, screams, dead everywhere' — Sumy in shock after double-tap missile attack kills 35 We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Euronews
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Battle for Pokrovsk: Ukraine's military says it has pushed back Russian soldiers
ADVERTISEMENT Ukrainian troops in the eastern Donetsk region report gains in the fight to repel Russian forces near the strategic city of Pokrovsk. The battle for the city, a key logistical hub in the Donbas region, has been ongoing for over nine months. Azhur, a battalion commander with Ukraine's 117th Brigade, said, "Are we holding them? We are. Are we pushing them? We are pushing. Are we advancing? We are." "We are not retreating now. At this moment, we have momentum." Pokrovsk, situated northwest of the city of Donetsk, has become a focal point in Ukraine's efforts to slow the Russian advance and maintain control over vital supply routes. Related EU-Ukraine trade talks enter crucial phase on agriculture Ukraine allies pledge €21 billion in new military support US no longer to chair NATO-led group of key military allies Evacuations from frontline areas continue At the end of March, a mandatory evacuation of families with children was announced in the frontline village of Bilytske and its surrounding area of the Donetsk region. According to local police, officers and representatives of the military administration have been speaking with parents, urging them to evacuate. In cases where families refuse to leave, Ukraine's "guardianship authorities" have the legal right to temporarily remove children from their families. According to Valerii Shakhrai, inspector of the juvenile prevention department, this measure is a last resort that is rarely used. A funeral for a Ukrainian paramedic who was killed recently on the frontline takes place in Krivyi Rih, 11 April, 2025 AP Photo "The guardianship authorities have the authority to temporarily remove children from families that refuse forced evacuation, without depriving them of parental rights," he said. "Foster families. Then the parents can leave the dangerous area and pick up the child, but we use this very rarely." Elsewhere in the country, Ukraine's Air Force reported a wave of Russian drone attacks overnight from Thursday into Friday. A total of 39 drones were launched, with air defence units managing to shoot down 24 of them. The drones targeted multiple regions, including Dnipro, Donetsk, and Zhytomyr," Shakhrai said. Meanwhile, in a daily briefing, the Russian Defence Ministry claimed on Thursday to have gained control over the village of Zhuravka in Ukraine's northern Sumy region.
