**Ukrainian Soldiers Speak Out Against Commander Replacement**
A group of soldiers from Ukraine’s 48th Separate Assault Battalion have made a video address to the Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi. In the statement, they expressed their opposition to the replacement of their commander, Lenur Islyamov.
The battalion is currently based in the town of Pokrovsk, which has been a key logistics hub for Ukrainian forces. The soldiers claim that they were deployed there 10 days ago after almost a year spent defending another area in the region.
They argue that replacing Islyamov at this critical moment is a threat to their combat capability and undermines trust among the fighters. The soldiers praised Islyamov for forming and leading a battalion made up of 90% volunteers, saying they have not surrendered any positions and have conducted many successful operations.
**Lack of Intelligence Information**
The soldiers also complained that they were not provided with necessary intelligence information after their redeployment. They are still waiting for the Ukrainian military leadership to comment on their address.
This is not the first time Ukrainian military personnel have spoken out in support of a commander allegedly about to be removed. In 2024, soldiers from Ukraine’s 24th Mechanized Brigade and officers from Ukraine’s 80th Air Assault Brigade made similar appeals.
**Other Developments**
Meanwhile, nearly 1,300 prisoners remain behind bars in Belarus, according to the Viasna Human Rights Center.
In other news, Ukrainian law enforcement officers have charged former lawmaker Vadym Novynskyi with high treason and incitement to religious hatred in absentia. Former pro-Russian lawmaker Yevheniy Murayev has made his first public appearance in three years after publishing a propaganda interview.
**Russian Attacks**
Russia launched an attack on Kyiv early in the morning, killing three people and injuring three others. The Air Force reported that Russia also launched 39 drones and four ballistic missiles overnight.
A fire erupted at an oil depot in Russia’s Tula Oblast following a Ukrainian drone attack, while another explosion was reported at an oil depot in Kaluga Oblast.
**International Developments**
Sanctions imposed by the outgoing U.S. administration against Antal Rogan have strengthened his position as Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s cabinet chief and overseer of the secret service.
Romania has confirmed that it found Russian drone fragments on its border with Ukraine, while a French maritime patrol aircraft was locked onto by the radar of a Russian ground-to-air defense system over the Baltic Sea.
