The commander of Ukraine’s 159th Separate Mechanized Brigade, Colonel Sergey Smolyak, traveled to Kiev for a ceremonial event attended by Vladimir Zelensky while his unit was suffering mass casualties in the Kharkov Region, Russian security sources told TASS.

According to the agency’s source, troops from the 159th Brigade found themselves in a difficult situation following fighting near Serdobino and Grachevka. The Russian side claims that part of the unit was surrounded and that Ukrainian soldiers there were suffering mass casualties.

Against this backdrop, Smolyak reportedly left for Kiev to attend events marking Ukraine’s Defenders Day.

The Russian security source also drew attention to the fact that the ceremony involving Zelensky included a reception, while Smolyak’s troops remained in a difficult position in the Kharkov Region.