Ukraine attacks gathering of Russians celebrating Missile Forces Day on 19 November

Ukrainian troops attacked a meeting of Russian soldiers who had gathered near the village of Kumachove in Donetsk Oblast for a show on the occasion of the Russian Missile Forces and Artillery Day on 19 November.

Source: BBC Ukraine; Russian media

Details: Russian media, without specifying the circumstances, reported on 21 November the death of actress Polina Menshikh, who performed for the Russian military that day. "Russian actress and theatre director Polina Menshikh was killed during shelling in Donbas. This was reported by the Portal theatre studio, where Menshikh staged one of their musicals," Kremlin-aligned news agency RIA Novosti wrote.

On the evening of 22 November, Ukraine's Ground Forces posted a video, which allegedly recorded the moment of the attack on the hall. In the video, Menshikh's performance can be seen, and an explosion can be heard.

In an interview with BBC Ukraine, a representative of the ground forces confirmed the reports of the strike that day.

At the same time, Robert Brovdi, the commander of the Ptakhy Madiara Aerial Reconnaissance unit of the 59th Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, posted that Ukrainian troops attacked Russia's 810th Guards Marines Brigade on 19 November, when its servicemen were being decorated with medals during the Missile Forces and Artillery Day celebration.

He added that this was retaliation for the attack on the personnel of the 128th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade, as a result of which 19 soldiers were killed.

"Retaliation: the 810th, you feel the pain, we know for sure. [This is] for our boys. For the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade based in Zakarpattia Oblast. Carefully follow the obituaries, especially in channels from the occupied Crimea. And [the news] about the main hospital named after [Ukrainian surgeon Mykola] Burdenko," he wrote.

Brovdi said that 25 Russian soldiers were killed, and more than a hundred were injured in the attack.

Officially, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has not yet commented on the statement about the attack on the 810th Brigade of the Russian marines.

Background:

• On 4 November, it became known that the Russian army launched an attack on the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade in a frontline village in Zaporizhzhia. The soldiers were gathered together in one place for an awards ceremony on the occasion of Rocket Forces and Artillery Day [3 November – ed.]. 
• The 128th Mountain Assault Brigade based in Zakarpattia Oblast confirmed the deaths of 19 soldiers due to the Russian attack during celebrations near the frontline on 3 November.
• On the evening of 4 November, Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umierov instructed the Main Inspectorate of the Ministry of Defence to conduct a full investigation into the tragedy.

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