(Adnkronos) – The governor of the Ukrainian province of Sumy, Volodimir Artiuj, has been dismissed after the bombing that hit the city of the same name over the weekend, justified by Russia as a response to an army meeting, which he himself admitted in the last few hours. This was announced by the government representative in Parliament, Taras Melnichuk, explaining through his Telegram the latest decisions approved in a council of ministers yesterday, during which it was also decided to remove the governor of the province of Lugansk, Artem Lisohor.
Artiuj’s dismissal came just hours after, interviewed by Ukrainian public radio, he admitted that a military event had taken place on Sunday in the provincial capital. “I didn’t convene it, I was invited,” the governor said, avoiding specifying who organized the meeting. “That’s another speech,” he concluded. Subsequently, the mayor of the nearby city of Konotop, Artem Semenjin, confirmed that a military honors ceremony was held which, according to other sources, was the subject of a leak of information, thus facilitating the Russian attack.
Moscow confirmed the launch of two missiles, which allegedly hit what they believed to be an army meeting. At least 34 people died and a hundred were injured, although the Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed the presence of soldiers among the victims. The former governor of Sumy will be replaced by Oleg Grigorov, while Lisohor will be replaced by Oleksi Jarchenko, according to Melnichuk.
