Russian strike on training camp in Ukraine kills 3 troops, injures 18
by Paul Godfrey · UPIJuly 30 (UPI) -- At least three Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 18 were injured after a Russian missile strike on a training facility in the north of the country, authorities said. Moscow claimed the casualty toll was ten times as high.
The Ukrainian army said it had taken precautions to protect personnel but was not able to completely avoid casualties at the facility -- which it did not name or give a location for.
Russia's Defense Ministry, in a post on its official Telegram account, said missiles with cluster and high-explosive warheads struck the 169th training center of the ground forces of the strategic reserve of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Goncharovskoye in Chernihiv province.
"According to intelligence, the losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine amounted to about 200 servicemen killed and wounded," the ministry said.
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The Armed Forces of Ukraine said a military commission had been established to look into the circumstances and reasons for the loss of personnel in Tuesday's attack, as well as an internal investigation by the army ground forces.
"If it is established that the actions or inaction of officials led to the death or injury of servicemen, those responsible will be held accountable," the army said in a social media post.
"The command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Land Forces are taking additional security measures to preserve the lives and health of servicemen during missile and air strikes by the aggressor on training grounds and training centers."
Tuesday's attack came after 15 servicemen were killed and 74 injured in June in separate missile strikes on two training facilities, including the training ground of a mechanized brigade.
The first of these, on June 1, prompted Ground Forces Commander Mykhailo Drapatyi to resign in protest over what he said was a lack of respect among commanders for the value of soldiers' lives
In May, at least six national guardsmen were killed and 10 were injured in the northeastern province of Sumy when a firing range was targeted and in early March, an unconfirmed number of soldiers were killed and injured in a Russian missile strike on a staging ground in the village of Cherkaske near the eastern city of Dnipro.
At the time, Drapatyi blamed bureaucracy, incompetence and outdated procedures and, pledging no cover-up of the true extent of the casualties or how the tragedy occurred, vowed to introduce new safety standards and hold those responsible to account.
At least 50 troops were killed and more than 250 injured in September when two Russian missiles struck a military base in the central city of Poltava.
Elsewhere, Russia's nightly attacks on Ukraine's cities and towns killed at least seven people and injured 21. All but one of the fatalities were in Kharkiv city and surrounding areas, with Donetsk, Kherson, Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk provinces also coming under attack.
Air Force Command said in a social media update that air defenses downed or jammed 51 of 78 attack drones incoming in the north and east of the country.