Ukrainian authorities said three people were killed and at least 14 injured in a Russian missile attack on a Ukrainian military training area the Kherson region, the latest in a series of such attacks at training grounds by the Kremlin’s forces.
Separately, authorities in Kyiv reported early on June 23 that at least one person was killed and several wounded in a “massive” Russian air attack in and around the capital.
The news service of Ukraine’s ground forces said classes with military personnel were under way when the attack on the temporary training ground occurred, most likely by a Russian Iskander ballistic missile.
The statement did not specify if the casualties were all soldiers or other personnel.
“Thanks to timely safety measures, numerous losses of personnel were avoided when receiving an air raid alarm. However, unfortunately, there are dead and wounded. All victims are promptly provided with all the necessary qualified assistance in medical institutions,” the statement by the ground forces command said.
Vitaliy Sarantsev, a spokesman for the ground forces, was quoted by suspilne.media as saying, “Unfortunately, there were some military personnel who neglected security measures — most of them were injured.”
The command said a commission has been created to investigate the incident.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that some 70 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in the attack, which it said targeted a Ukrainian military training ground in the southern Kherson region.
The reports could not be independently verified.
The attack was the latest in a long string of similar incidents.
On June 4, Russian forces launched a missile attack on a training ground in the Poltava region, injuring three.
On June 1, a Russian strike on a Ukrainian military training ground killed 12 and injured more than 60 wounded.
Following that incident, the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, Mykhailo Drapatiy, announced he was resigning. He said he was stepping down because of his sense of responsibility “for the tragedy” and because he was “unable to ensure the proper execution of his orders.”
On March 1, Russian forces struck a Ukrainian military training ground in the Dnipropetrovsk region during a formation exercise, causing an unknown number of casualties.
On May 20, six soldiers were killed and more than 10 injured in the Sumy region in an attack on a shooting range.
Separately, early on June 23, Ukrainian officials said Kyiv was being hit with “another massive attack” by Russian forces, with reports of a 68-year-old woman being killed and multiple injuries.
“Another massive attack on the capital. Possibly, several waves of enemy drones,” Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, said on Telegram. “Wait out the danger in shelters!”
A fire was seen near the entrance to a subway station, which residents often use as bomb shelters.
With reporting by Reuters