A Russian missile strike hit a military shooting range in Ukraine’s Sumy region on May 20, killing six servicemembers and injuring more than 10, according to the National Guard of Ukraine.

The attack occurred during training exercises at the shooting range of a military unit near the town of Shostka. The National Guard shared the information Wednesday on its official Facebook page.

An internal investigation is underway, and the commander of the military unit has been suspended. Officials said all relevant materials have been handed over to law enforcement agencies.

“The command of the National Guard and law enforcement will give a strict legal assessment of the actions of all involved,” the statement said. The agency also pledged full cooperation in the investigation.

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Reports of the strike first appeared Tuesday in Russian state-run and pro-military Telegram channels, including RIA Novosti.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it had used an Iskander missile to kill “up to 70 Ukrainian soldiers at a training camp” in the region, though Ukraine has not confirmed that number.

The Sumy Regional Military Administration also confirmed a missile strike on the Shostka community on Tuesday, stating that infrastructure at one enterprise was damaged, with no mention of the training camp attack. 

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Syrsky said Russia maintains an advantage in manpower and weapons and may expand operations from the north.

Volunteer Serhiy Sternenko criticized the decision to concentrate troops so close to the Russian border – less than 50 kilometers away – where Russian drones are frequently active.

“This keeps happening the same way, and yet people are still being grouped in one place,” he said, calling the situation both avoidable and irresponsible.

A similar incident occurred in 2023 in the Zaporizhzhia region, where more than 20 Ukrainian soldiers were killed during a ceremony on Artillery Day.

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