The commander of the Ukrainian ground forces, Major General Mykhailo Drapati, condemned the growing aggression in the country against the army, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
"The killing of servicemen far from the front is a red line that should not be crossed. We have no right to watch the quietly rising wave of disrespect for the guardians of Ukraine," Drapati wrote on the social network "Facebook".
His publication is on the occasion of the death of two servicemen in Ukraine yesterday. The commander of the Ukrainian infantry called on the authorities to take firm retaliatory measures and punish the perpetrators.
An explosion occurred in the military district in the city of Rivne, killing one person and injuring six. Also yesterday, a serviceman in the conscription service of the Poltava region was shot dead.
Drapati described as "unforgivable" the fact that society does not protest against the violence against the defenders of the country against the Russian invasion.
He said that there were other cases in which servicemen were subjected to humiliation and aggression. "And now we have direct armed attacks", he added.
If there is no timely and decisive response, there will be "many more deaths", Drapati warned. "We are obliged to show gratitude to those who seized weapons and at the cost of their own lives (...) defended our home", the general added.
A Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire in the Astrakhan region of Russia and caused the cancellation of flights from several airports in Russia, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA, citing Russian authorities.
"The Ukrainian armed forces attempted to attack objects located in the area, including fuel and energy facilities," Astrakhan region Governor Igor Babushkin wrote on the messaging app.
"The crash of a drone caused a fire. There were no injuries," the message added.
The Russian air transport agency "Rosaviatsia" said it was suspending flights from the airports in Astrakhan and Kazan, Nizhnekamsk, Saratov and Ulyanovsk to ensure their safety.
Thanks to the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, created by Ukraine and Canada a year ago, nearly 600 children have been returned to their homes, the head of the Ukrainian President's Office Andriy Yermak announced on his Telegram channel, quoted by Ukrinform and BTA.
He added that 41 countries have joined the coalition, the goal of which is the return of Ukrainian children illegally deported to Russia.
„With international assistance, nearly 600 children were returned last year. However, thousands of others still remain hostages of the Russian Federation. They were torn from their homes and families. Russia is systematically erasing the Ukrainian identity of these children – changes their names, falsifies documents, militarizes them and blocks their access to reliable information“, said Yermak.
He added that the Montreal agreements adopted in October marked a significant step towards creating a practical mechanism for the return of children, prisoners of war and illegally detained citizens.
“53 countries and international organizations currently support this document, and the coalition remains open to those willing to contribute to these efforts“, he said.
Yermak called on Russia to immediately stop the deportation and forcible transfer of children in order to facilitate their return to their homes in Ukraine.
He stressed that the international community must continue to increase its efforts to reintegrate children who have suffered the horrors of war.
Advisor to the Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian President Daria Zarivna earlier specified, that a total of 1,037 children have been returned from Russia so far, Ukrinform recalls.