MTLB commander involved in March accident receives medal
2015-08-04
Posted by: badanov
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The armored vehicle commander whose vehicle struck and killed an eight year old girl in northern Donetsk last March has received a medal not related to the accident, according to Russian language reports.
Senior Lieutenant Maryana Raka was rewarded the Bogdan Khmelnitsky III medal on Monday. The medal is awarded to Ukrainian soldiers for meritorious service. Lt. Raka was wounded in the attack on the Lugansk airport last summer.
Last March an MTLB armored personnel carrier under the command of Lt. Raka, traveling in Konstaninovka in northern Dontesk, struck and killed an unidentified eight year old girl when the vehicle's driver, Roman Karpinets missed a turn and ran into a family waiting to cross the road. Two other unidentified adult civilians were wounded in the accident.
The three passengers were said to have been drinking alcohol when the accident occurred. Lt. Raka later admitted to being intoxicated at the time of the accident, but he was not officially charged in the incident. His driver, Roman Karpinets, was, and was subsequently remanded to serve his sentence last April.
The accident sparked riots overnight which resulted in some property and vehicles damaged. Several unidentified individuals were detained in connection with the riot. In the immediate aftermath, Donetsk president Aleksandr Zakharchenko vowed that when his forces liberate Konstantinka, his forces would wreak vengeance on the military unit involved in the accident.
A month later, a Zaparozhe civilian appeals court ordered the release of Lt. Raka, a decision that military prosecutor Mikail Ivlev called "unfounded and totally immoral."
Armored vehicle commanders on both sides of this conflict take their responsibilities seriously, understanding just how badly an 11 ton vehicle can hurt a pedestrian, civilian or not. When the accident occurred all three soldiers, to their credit, immediately stopped and exited their vehicle. At the time it had been rumored from the rebel side, that the accident was a hit and run.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com. Click here for a list of stories in the The 2014 War in Ukraine category.
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Click here for a list of stories in the The 2014 War in Ukraina category