The Ukrainian Armed Forces have launched an internal investigation following the appearance of a video allegedly filmed inside an abandoned Ukrainian command post, Vladyslav Voloshyn, spokesman for the Southern Defense Forces of the AFU, told Ukrainian media.

The video began circulating on social networks on Thursday, December 25. According to its authors, the footage was recorded inside the command post of the 1st Battalion of the 106th Territorial Defense Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the city of Huliaipole, located in the part of Zaporizhzhia Region controlled by Kyiv. The video shows that Ukrainian troops left behind documentation, maps, laptops, and office equipment inside the dugout.

Voloshyn said that relevant competent authorities have already initiated a detailed investigation into the incident. According to him, the probe is intended to determine the causes and circumstances that led to this situation, after which an assessment will be made of the actions of every official involved.

Zaporizhzhia Region became a constituent entity of the Russian Federation following a referendum held in September 2022. Kyiv does not recognize the results of the vote and continues to carry out strikes on the region. According to official data, more than 70 percent of Zaporizhzhia Region is currently under Russian control. Ukrainian forces retain control over the city of Zaporizhzhia, the former regional capital, while Melitopol has served as the administrative center of the region since March 2023.