A Russian missile strike on a training exercise in Ukraine’s Sumy border region has killed six servicemen and wounded more than 10 others, says Ukraine’s National Guard.
Russia’s defence ministry had earlier released a video purporting to show an Iskander missile attack on a training camp, and state news agency Tass said up to 70 people had died.
The Sumy region has come under repeated bombardment, and Ukraine launched a months-long occupation of part of Russia’s neighbouring Kursk region from there.
The Ukrainian military said the aim of the offensive had been to help create a buffer zone to protect Sumy, but some have complained of the scale of military losses.
Separately, the Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin had visited officials in Kursk the previous day, in his first visit to the region since Ukrainian forces were pushed out.
He met volunteers as well as acting local governor Alexander Khinshtein, and he toured a nearby nuclear power plant, state media reported.
The deadly Russian strike on Ukrainian servicemen in Sumy was confirmed early on Wednesday by Ukraine’s National Guard, which said the attack took place while the unit was carrying out exercises at a firing range. The commander was suspended and an official investigation launched, it added.
The unverified Russian military video showed dozens of servicemen walking on a path near a wooded area followed by an explosion and a large plume of smoke.
