"It wasn’t my initiative," - Head of Sumy RMA Artiukh about awarding of soldiers from 117th TDF in Sumy
The head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration, Volodymyr Artiukh, claims that he did not organise the event to award the 117th TDF (Territorial Defense Forces) Brigade at the Sumy Congress Centre before the Russian attack on 13 April.
Artiukh said this to Suspilne TV, Censor.NET reports.
According to him, he did not initiate the event.
"It was not my initiative. I was invited." - And who invited you? I answered you," Artiukh said.
The media outlet asked the 117th TDF Brigade for comments on whether the military were gathered in the city for the award ceremony and who initiated the event.
As a reminder, Mariia Bezuhla, People`s Deputy from the Servant of the People party, claimed that the April 13 ballistic missile strike on Sumy was carried out by Russian forces because of a formation assembled for the awarding of Territorial Defense Forces soldiers.
Later, Konotop Mayor Artem Semenikhin said that the head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration, Volodymyr Artiukh, had organised an award ceremony for the 117th TDF Brigade at the Sumy University Congress Centre, which was later attacked by Russians.
As a result of the Russian attack on 13 April, 35 people died in Sumy.
