A new wave of chills has blown into the heart of the Ukrainian military, with a Russian missile strike aimed at a Ukrainian training unit hatched multiple deaths and many other injuries. Ukrainian Ground Forces confirmed late Tuesday that three servicemen had died in the attack and 18 had suffered injuries.
Although specific information has yet to be announced regarding the location of the attack, it has been reported independently by the Ukrainian journalist Andrei Taplienko as happening in the Chernihiv region, close to Russia and Belarus-a geopolitically sensitive area where the strike lashed.
Rising Alarm Over Repeated Bombing of Training Grounds
This missile attack has proved the third on a Ukrainian training site in just over two months. The deadliest attack happened before when an Iskander missile hit a training camp in Sumy region in May, killing six troops. Another attack last month also resulted in 12 deaths and left over 60 injured. The assault on Tuesday is just another unfortunate indication of a growing pattern in Russian attempts to devastate Ukraine’s military readiness by striking vulnerable men during training exercises.
The Russian Defense Ministry released footage purportedly showing the Iskander missile hitting and inflicting cluster-type explosions, implying that casualties among Ukrainian personnel are significantly greater than officially recorded. While the video remains unverified, the Russian narrative is rather intended at magnifying the impact, both physically as well as psychologically. Ukrainian authorities, however, confirmed only the currently verified counts, while investigations into the nature of the incident were also started.
Although one security measure was put in place, the Ukrainian military admitted that it had not fully protected the training unit. An internal inquiry has been initiated by the Ground Forces to ascertain if any fault or negligence caused more injury. The subject of accountability has come back on center stage, especially following last month’s incident that led to the resignation of Ground Forces Commander Mykhailo Drapatyi. Drapatyi resigned after he was criticized and mourned for the death of young recruits, most of whom were reportedly hiding during that attack.
As Ukraine strives to strengthen its defense against frequent missile attack, the main issue now is how to protect trainees and personnel that is not on the frontline. The recurrent assault on such sites not only hampers Ukraine’s fighting strength but also adversely affects morale, making briefings important for military leadership on reviewing security arrangements and improving early-warning apparatus. This recent assault has again served as unpleasant reminder of the high human costs incurred due to this bloody war.
