Six Ukrainian servicemen were killed and more than 10 wounded when a Russian missile hit a firing range in the Sumy region, Ukraine’s National Guard said on Wednesday.
The soldiers were running drills when the strike landed, the National Guard added. It suspended the unit’s commander and opened an official inquiry into the attack.
Hours earlier, Russia’s defence ministry had posted footage it said captured an Iskander missile hitting a training camp, and the Tass news agency alleged, without evidence, that as many as 70 people had died. BBC Verify traced the camp to the far north of Sumy, a short distance south of Russia.
Sumy has absorbed repeated shelling during the war, and Ukraine staged its months-long push into the neighbouring Kursk region from there. Kyiv said that operation was meant to build a buffer protecting Sumy itself.
The National Guard said it had already issued standing orders on how to respond to the danger of air strikes against troops gathered in one spot. Separately, the Kremlin said Vladimir Putin travelled to Kursk the day before, the first time he had gone there since Ukrainian units withdrew.
Sources
- Six Ukrainian soldiers killed in Russian missile strike during training exercise
- Six Ukrainian soldiers killed and over ten injured in Russian strike on firing range in Sumy Oblast | Ukrainska Pravda
