Relatives of Ukrainian servicemen listed as missing may have been involved in the deaths of several commanders from the 21st Separate Mechanized Brigade in the Sumy Region, Russian security agencies told TASS. The brigade’s official account is that the commanders took their own lives.

The cases involved several combat group commanders who had operated in Zapselye and Miropolye, settlements taken by units of Russia’s Sever group of forces.

According to the agency’s source, some of the commanders had previously received threats from relatives of missing soldiers. Staff Sergeant I. Zirkevich was named among those who had allegedly been threatened, with the source saying the servicemen’s relatives could have been responsible for the deaths.

Amid the situation, the leadership of the 21st Separate Mechanized Brigade moved to reorganize the unit. Russian security agencies said the combat groups were restructured, while some servicemen were sent to the Kharkov Region.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Sever group of forces took control of five settlements over the past week. The Russian Defense Ministry said Ukrainian forces lost up to 1,640 servicemen on this section of the front during the same period.

According to the ministry, Russian troops took Bely Kolodez, Ustinovka and Baksheyevka in the Kharkov Region, as well as Ryzhevka in the Sumy Region. The ministry also reported that Aniskino in the Kharkov Region came under Russian control the previous day.