Commander of Katran Battalion Detained Over Deadly Strike

The commander of the Katran Unmanned Systems Battalion of the 35th Marine Brigade has been taken into custody without the option of bail following a Russian strike on November 1 that killed both military personnel and civilians, the Prosecutor General’s Office reported.

“The commander of the unmanned systems unit, suspected of negligent service during martial law that led to grave consequences — the deaths of 12 servicemen and 7 civilians — has been remanded in custody without bail at the request of prosecutors,” the statement said.

According to the investigation, the officer organized a ceremonial formation and award presentation for more than 100 servicemen in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast — in an area also populated by civilians. Despite existing regulations prohibiting large gatherings of personnel and requiring dispersion, the commander allegedly failed to halt the ceremony and order dispersal after an air alert was announced.

However, this version contradicts standard procedures for organizing official award events. Commanders of linear units cannot independently arrange ceremonies in the rear or withdraw personnel from combat duties; such events require authorization at the brigade level. In this context, the detained commander may have been following higher orders rather than acting independently.

According to a husband of one of the serviceman, it was a ceremony for the anniversary of the battalion, and the presence of all servicemen was mandatory.

Journalist Dmytro Sviatnenko — who earlier reported on the death of his brother in the strike — told Suspilne that relatives of other servicemen have since contacted him, confirming that the brigade’s leadership had planned the award ceremony.

“A fellow serviceman of my brother, who was simply late for the event, told me that the battalion is no longer combat-capable — it lost 80% of its strength,” Sviatnenko said.

Following the enemy strike, the Katran Battalion lost at least 12 servicemen, with dozens more wounded. According to relatives of the injured, many suffered severe injuries — including the loss of limbs.

What preceded it?

On November 1, Russian forces launched a rocket and drone attack on a settlement in the Samarivsky district of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. The strike hit the center of the settlement, tragically resulting in both civilian and military casualties.

According to official reports from the 30th Marine Corps of the Ukrainian Navy, servicemen from one of its marine brigades were present in the village at the time of the attack. It was later confirmed that it was Katran Battalion of the 35th Marine Brigade.