The exact number of casualties and injured remains unknown.
On Saturday, March 1, Russian forces launched a strike on a training ground in the Dnipropetrovsk region, where Ukrainian soldiers were present. On Monday, March 3, Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi, confirmed the attack and stated that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have initiated an investigation into the tragedy.
On March 1, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that it launched an Iskander-M missile strike on the “Novomoskovsk” military training ground in Dnipropetrovsk region, located 100 km from the frontline. The Ministry claimed that soldiers from the 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were undergoing training there.
Mykhailo Drapatyi, Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, confirmed the attack and announced that the Ukrainian military is currently investigating the circumstances of the tragedy. He assured that those responsible for the decisions made that day, and those who failed to act in time, will be held accountable.
“I anticipate that the truth will be concealed under the fog of bureaucracy. But I will not allow this. I have ordered an independent review with the involvement of military counterintelligence to ensure that no detail is overlooked and that those responsible are named and cannot escape accountability,” emphasized General Drapatyi.
He urged all generals, officers, sergeants, and soldiers of the Ukrainian Ground Forces to eliminate formalism, bureaucracy, and negligence.
The Ukrainian Ground Forces confirmed that there were casualties and injuries among one of the units affected by the strike, but the exact number of victims has not been disclosed.
“A thorough verification and investigation into all circumstances of the incident is underway. The military law enforcement and authorities have been provided with all necessary information to ensure maximum transparency of the investigation. We remind that Russian occupiers carry out not only missile attacks but also information-psychological warfare. We urge all citizens and media representatives not to succumb to enemy manipulation and not to spread unverified information,” the statement added.
The Russian Ministry of Defense also released a video showing a reconnaissance drone circling the training ground, observing the Ukrainian soldiers, and guiding the missile strike.
Sources from Suspilne reported that a large number of injured individuals have been transferred to one of the regional hospitals in Dnipropetrovsk region following the missile strike on the training ground.
Journalist Yuriy Butusov mentioned that the 168th Reserve Battalion is stationed at the training ground in the village of Cherkaske. According to his sources, approximately 130 people were injured in the attack, with over 30 confirmed dead.
Volunteer Serhiy Sternenko claims that the Russian reconnaissance drone was not shot down because there is still no fully operational anti-drone defense system. “The Eastern PMC currently has the worst results when it comes to implementing drone defense. Previously, the commander of this PMC even banned training flights with FPV drones. The consequences were already seen — an attack on the Patriot system. There was no accountability. None,” Sternenko pointed out.
It’s worth noting that on March 13, 2022, Russian forces shelled the Yavoriv training ground. According to official reports, the attack resulted in 64 deaths and over 100 injuries. The damages from the attack were estimated at around 136 million UAH.
On May 23, 2024, the Halytskyi District Court in Lviv sentenced 73-year-old former KGB Major Oleksandr Kostornyi, who had passed maps of the Yavoriv training ground with marked targets to the Russians. These maps were used during the March 2022 missile strike on the ground.
Tags: ballistic missiles missile strike Russia russia ukraine war Ukraine
