KYIV: Ukrainian officials on Monday reported an unspecified number of fatalities from a Russian missile strike on a military training ground around 130 kilometres (80 miles) from the front line.
The attack on Saturday was on “an army training ground near the village of Cherkaske” outside the city of Dnipro, a military source told AFP.
A respected Ukrainian military blogger, Yury Butusov, said that between 30 and 40 soldiers were killed and 90 more were injured. No official toll has been released.
“The tragedy… is a terrible consequence of an enemy strike,” Ukraine’s land forces commander Major General Mykhailo Drapaty said, expressing “heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims”.
Ukrainian lawmaker Mariana Bezugla said on Facebook that the strike happened when soldiers were lined up in formation, accusing commanders of “stupidity” and an “inability to adapt to new realities”.
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A military source told AFP there was “no lining up or gathering of people”.
“The enemy used an Iskander-M Ballistic missile with a cluster munition,” the source said, adding that “elements of destruction were scattered over a large area”.
There have been several similar incidents during the three-year war including a strike on a military institute in Poltava in September last year in which some 60 people were killed.
Drapaty said there were “unlearned lessons” and an investigation would be launched.
“Anger is eating away at me from the inside,” he said, accusing some military officials “who continue to negligently” fulfil their duties.
He said he would not allow anyone to “try to hide the truth in the fog of bureaucracy”.
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