Avakov speaks of losses of National Guard, Interior Ministry in Donbas

Interior Minister Arsen Avakov reported on the death of 308 soldiers from the battalions of the National Guard and the Ministry of Interior in hostilities in Donbas over two years of conflict.

In his Facebook posting, the Minister expressed support for the volunteer battalions and said that he for the first time gave the official statistics on KIA`s and WIA`s in the area of the Anti-Terrorist Operation in the east of Ukraine from among the employees of the departments of the Interior Ministry and the troops of the National Guard.

”I am raging inside when someone talks imposingly about mythology surrounding volunteer battalions. Today I am giving the official statistics on the wounded and the dead – for the first time ever. There are no secrets. But there is a reproach to those empty talkers who put into question the guys` feat. Why is it deemed official? Because there were unrecorded losses – the guys were dying in combat, without even having enough time to properly register with our units. They came to the front line, leaving all formalities for later,” said Avakov.

”In these two years, the departments of the Interior Ministry and the National Guard have lost 308 of its people. Including from volunteer battalions – 205 (108 National Guards from Donbas [Battalion], Azov [Regiment], Kulchytsky Battalion, 97 – from the battalions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs…). 1,228 people were wounded, including from the volunteer battalions – 701; reported missing in action – 41 fighters; remain in captivity (according to our information) – 10 troops,” said the head of Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.

”It would be unfair and unjust to keep silent about the guys who gave their lives and health in this war! It vile to downplay their feat! Someone already seems uncomfortable amid peaceful life in the capital and other peaceful cities to remember them. But remembering them is necessary – simply because the war is ongoing, nothing is over yet,” said Arsen Avakov.

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