RUSSIAN STRIKE ON UKRAINIAN TRAINING CAMP KILLS 3 TROOPS AND INJURES 18. (PHOTO).

 Russian strike on Ukrainian training camp kills 3 troops and injures 18

At least three Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 18 were injured after a Russian missile strike targeted a training facility in northern Ukraine, officials confirmed. However, Moscow claimed the casualty count was around 200, ten times higher than Ukraine’s report.

The Ukrainian military said it had taken precautions to protect personnel but could not entirely prevent casualties at the unnamed training center. Russia’s Defense Ministry stated on Telegram that missiles with cluster and high-explosive warheads struck the 169th training center of Ukraine’s ground forces strategic reserve near Goncharovskoye in Chernihiv province. According to Russian intelligence, the losses included about 200 Ukrainian servicemen killed and wounded.

In response, Ukraine’s Armed Forces launched a military commission and an internal investigation to determine the circumstances behind the losses. A statement warned that if officials were found negligent or responsible, they would be held accountable. Additional security measures are being implemented to better protect troops from future missile and air strikes on training grounds.

This attack follows earlier missile strikes in June that killed 15 soldiers and injured 74 at two other training facilities, including a mechanized brigade’s grounds. These incidents prompted the resignation of Ground Forces Commander Mykhailo Drapatyi, who criticized commanders for a lack of respect for soldiers' lives and pledged reforms to improve safety and transparency.

Previous strikes in May and March also caused casualties, including the deaths of national guardsmen and soldiers at firing ranges and staging areas. In September, a Russian missile attack on a military base in Poltava killed at least 50 troops and injured over 250.

Meanwhile, Russian nightly attacks across Ukraine’s cities resulted in at least seven deaths and 21 injuries, with Kharkiv and surrounding areas hit hardest. Air defense forces reported intercepting or jamming 51 of 78 drones launched in northern and eastern Ukraine.