Russian Strike At Training Site Kills 12 Ukrainian Soldiers, Army Commander Resigns

Last Updated:June 01, 2025, 20:57 IST

Ukraine said a Russian missile strike at an Army training area killed at least 12 soldiers on Sunday. Ukrainian ground forces commander Mykhailo Drapaty resigned after the attack.

The Ukrainian Army had been under pressure to address gaps in training soldiers. (AFP)

Ukraine on Sunday said a Russian missile strike at an Army training area killed at least 12 soldiers and wounded dozens more, in a rare acknowledgement of its military losses. However, Kyiv did not disclose where the strikes took place.

The Ukrainian Army had been under pressure to investigate glaring lapses in ensuring the safety of training soldiers. However, the army maintained that soldiers were not taking part in a “mass gathering" and most were in their shelters during the attack.

“Today, on June 1, the enemy launched a missile strike on the location of one of the training units of the Ukrainian army," the military said in a statement. “As of 12:50 pm (local time), 12 people are known to have been killed and more than 60 wounded."

Ukrainian Commander Resigns After Attack

Ukrainian ground forces commander Mykhailo Drapaty said he was resigning from his post after the attack, saying he felt “responsibility" for the deaths of at least 12 soldiers in a Russian strike on a training ground.

“This is a deliberate step dictated by my personal sense of responsibility for the tragedy," he said in his resignation letter.

The military promised to bring those responsible for the deaths and injuries of the Army to strict accountability. Separately on Sunday, the Ukrainian Air Force said it was it by 472 Russian drones overnight.

Hostilities between Russia and Ukraine have intensified ahead of planned peace talks in Istanbul on Monday, after months of US efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the over three-year-old war.

Ukraine Launches ‘Large-Scale’ Attack

On Sunday, Ukraine launched a massive drone attack on Russia, in what is being called one of Kyiv’s largest operations to date, reportedly targeting four Russian airbases and 40 warplanes.

The former press secretary of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to X and shared a small clip of the attack, claiming that Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has carried out a large-scale drone strike, reportedly damaging over 40 Russian military aircraft.

Russia also said two bridges that collapsed in regions bordering Ukraine were brought down by explosions. Officials were treating them as “acts of terrorism" but had not immediately accused Ukraine.

(with agency inputs)

Kyiv, Ukraine

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