‘A tragedy’ — Russia strikes Ukrainian military training ground during exercises, Drapatyi says

Russian forces struck a Ukrainian military training ground in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on March 1 during a formation exercise, Mykhailo Drapatyi, Commander of the Ground Forces of Ukraine, said on March 3.

A day earlier, reports of a Russian attack with an Iskander-M ballistic missile on a training ground in the village of Cherkaske near the regional center of Dnipro began circulated on social media. The strike was allegedly carried out after an Orlan drone spotted a formation of soldiers about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the front line.

Drapatyi did not disclose the number of Ukrainian soldiers killed and injured. He added that the truth about the attack could be hidden “in the fog of bureaucracy” but promised to prevent this.

“A tragedy at a training ground is a terrible consequence of an enemy strike. The war requires quick decisions, responsibility, and new safety standards; otherwise, we will lose more than we have,” Drapatyi said.

Drapatyi added he had launched an investigation into the circumstances of the strike and appointed an independent review with the participation of military counterintelligence.

“Everyone who made decisions that day, and everyone who did not make them on time, will be held accountable. No one will hide behind explanations or formal reports,” he said.

On March 1, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that it had launched an Iskander M missile at the Novomoskovsk military training ground in Dnipro Oblast. Soldiers of the 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were allegedly undergoing military training there.

This is not the first time Russia has attacked Ukrainian troops while they are lining up in the rear.

On November 3, 2023, in a village near the front line in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Russian forces attacked a group of soldiers. As a result of the Russian missile strike, 19 soldiers of the 128th Brigade and two civilians were killed.

According to an investigation by Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, the soldiers were gathered in the courtyard of a house during an awards ceremony while all camouflage rules were ignored.

‘Zelensky will have no choice but to concede’ — Trump reposts commentary claiming mineral deal ensures Ukraine’s security

U.S. President Donald Trump reposted a claim on his social media network Truth Social on March 2 that President Volodymyr Zelensky “will have no choice but to concede” to Washington’s terms to the mineral deal because Kyiv cannot survive the war without U.S. backing.

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek