Russian Missiles Kill 10 at Event Near Kyiv, Triggering Probe
At least 10 people were killed by a Russian missile strike at a gathering on a training range near Ukraine’s capital, triggering a probe into
At least 10 people were killed by a Russian missile strike at a gathering on a training range near Ukraine’s capital, triggering a probe into potential negligence by the event’s organizers. The attack on Friday injured about 100 others, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said on Telegram, without specifying the nature of the event. The strike hit a location where representatives of the country’s arms industry were present, the Ukrainian Council of Defense Industry, an association of private defense manufacturers, said in a Facebook statement. “War doesn’t absolve anyone of responsibility for management decisions,” Kravchenko said. “On the contrary, it requires the utmost professionalism, caution and awareness of every step.” Investigators will determine who decided to hold the event, who approved its location, timing and format, what security measures were in place, and whether the risks were properly assessed under martial law, he said.
A war-crimes investigation into Russia’s strike was also opened, Kravchenko said. “Efforts to determine exactly what happened and the fate of those affected are ongoing,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X after the strike. Telegram monitoring channels reported several high-speed missiles approaching Kyiv at about 11:30 a.m. local time, an unusual time for such an attack, as Russian barrages are more commonly launched overnight or in the early morning. Russian forces launched three Iskander-M ballistic missiles, or S-400 air defense missiles used in a ground-attack role, from the north, Ukraine’s Air Force said on Telegram. One missile was intercepted, while two struck the Bucha district outside Kyiv. The strike hit a private military training ground where an event was taking place, the Kyiv regional state administration said on its website. A private sports complex unconnected to the military was damaged, Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said on local television.
“Whatever was happening there will be investigated,” he said. The targeted civilian facility is not under the authority or management of the Defense Forces, the Suspilne news website cited the country’s General Staff press service as saying. Organizers of public events must take security risks into account as far as possible during wartime and make use of shelters, the General Staff told Suspilne. The Russian Defense Ministry said its military had hit a site where a demonstration of unmanned aerial vehicles was taking place. The event hosted Ukrainian drone developers, manufacturers and military command representatives, according to the ministry. There have been cases during the war of Russia attacking mass gatherings in Ukraine, triggering public criticism over insufficient precautions. Ballistic missile attacks are particularly difficult to defend against because they reach their targets within minutes, leaving little time for people to reach shelter.
The BriefWire