Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces Mykhailo Drapatyi has lamented growing violence against military personnel in the country.
“The killing of military personnel well behind the front lines is a red line that must not be crossed. We do not have the right to silently watch the growing wave of disregard for the defenders of Ukraine,” Drapatyi posted on Facebook on Sunday.
He was reacting to the violent deaths of two military personnel on Saturday. He called on the authorities for a strong response and punishment of the perpetrators.
An explosion occurred in a building of the district military recruiting office in the Rivne region on Saturday, resulting in one death and six injuries.
In the Poltava region, a soldier at a conscription office was shot dead on the same day, according to the authorities.
As the head of the Ukrainian ground forces, Drapatyi criticized as “intolerable” the fact that there is no outcry in society over the violence against the country’s defenders in the fight against Russia’s invasion.
He said there have been other cases of humiliation and aggression against soldiers. “And now we have direct armed assaults,” he said.
If there is no swift and strong reaction, there will be “even more deaths,” he warned. “We are obliged to show appreciation to those who have taken up arms and at the cost of their own lives … defend our home.”
Ukraine has been resisting the Russian invasion war for almost three years.
