Dozens of Ukrainian servicemen have gone missing near Sumy, with some of them possibly killed while trying to cross the Psel River, Russian security sources told RIA Novosti.

According to the source, dozens of soldiers in the area of Miropolye have officially been listed as missing since May 11, although contact with them was allegedly lost at the beginning of the month. The source said Ukrainian commanders had sent troops from the 21st Brigade to force a crossing of the Psel while wearing body armor, leaving many unable to get out of the water.

Relatives of the servicemen tried to obtain information about what had happened to them, the agency’s source said. The 21st Brigade only passed the details to families a few days ago, after some Ukrainian military propagandists acknowledged the loss of Miropolye. Russia’s Defense Ministry had said the village was liberated on May 2.

Earlier in May, reports also emerged of a failed attempt by Ukrainian Armed Forces units to cross the Psel in armored vehicles in Sumy Region. Around the same time, information surfaced about heavy losses suffered by the 21st Brigade near Miropolye, cases of mass desertion, and appeals from servicemen’s relatives to the Ukrainian command demanding that units be withdrawn from Zapselye, a settlement located several kilometers from Miropolye.