New Delhi: At least 11 people were killed and 15 others wounded said Russia as it claimed that two gunmen from an ex-Soviet state on Saturday attacked a military training ground. The 11 killed were those who had volunteered to fight in Ukraine.
According to Russia’s defence ministry, the attack in the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine took place during a firearms training session, news agency AFP reported.
Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine at the end of February 2022. Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered mobilisation of 300,000 Russians who had previously done compulsory military service.
“On October 15, two citizens of a CIS country committed an act of terror at a training range of the Western military district in the Belgorod region,” the state news agencies quoted the ministry as saying, as cited by AFP
“As a result, 11 people were fatally wounded. Another 15 people suffered injuries of varying gravity and were taken to medical facilities.” The two attackers “were killed in retaliatory fire”, the ministry added.
The CIS, or Commonwealth of Independent States, was formed between republics that were part of the Soviet Union. More than 200,000 people have been conscripted into the Russian armed forces since the announcement of partial mobilisation on September 21.
The draft announcement sparked protests and several attacks on recruitment offices.
Ukrainian Troops Facing ‘Most Difficult’ Situation Near Eastern Town Of Bakhmut: Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meanwhile said Saturday that his troops were facing a “most difficult” situation near the eastern town of Bakhmut, which has been under attack from the Russian army for weeks.
Ukraine is regaining territory in both the east and south which were occupied by Russia for months but is still facing difficulties in some areas.
“A very severe situation persists in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions,” Zelenskyy said, referring to two regions Russia says it has annexed. “The most difficult is near Bakhmut, like in previous days. We are still holding our positions,” he added, as quoted by AFP.
Russian troops have for weeks been pummelling Bakhmut, a wine-making and salt-mining city that used to be populated by 70,000 people, in the hope of capturing the city. Zelenskyy also said that Russia’s total losses were now approaching 65,000.
One soldier, just back from the front line, told AFP they had been fighting for four days non-stop. “Out of the 13 guys in my group, we lost two soldiers, and five got evacuated,” said the 50-year-old soldier, “Poliak”, from the 93rd brigade. “For days I didn’t sleep, didn’t eat, didn’t drink except coffee,” he added.
Meanwhile, France said it would train up to 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers on its soil. Minister for the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu said France would also provide Ukraine with Crotale air-defence systems “to allow them to defend their skies”.
The attack on Saturday in the Belgorod training ground is the latest addition in the list of incidents to have hit the Russian region.
Earlier Saturday, Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod, said an oil depot was on fire after having been shelled. He posted a photo showing flames and plumes of black smoke rising above a building.
“No Regrets” Over Missile Attacks On Civilian Targets: Vladimir Putin
Last week, Russia complained of an increase in artillery and missile strikes on its territory bordering Ukraine. The authorities said that a Ukrainian strike had set fire to a power station in the regional capital on Friday, also called Belgorod, causing power cuts.
This came a day after a rocket gutted the top floor of an apartment building in the city of Belgorod, without causing injuries. A munition depot in the region was also destroyed on Thursday.
Earlier in the week, Russian officials said Ukrainian strikes had knocked out power in the town of Shebekino in the same region. A 74-year-old woman died and several others were wounded in the town.
Earlier on Friday, Putin said that he has “no regrets” over the missile attacks on civilian targets across Ukraine earlier this week, as reported by CNN. He also said that there was no need for more “massive” strikes for now.
The missile attacks on cities in Ukraine started on Monday in response to a blast on a bridge that connects the annexed Crimean Peninsula to Russia over the weekend. It is still unclear what caused the explosion, but Putin on Monday termed it a “terrorist attack” and blamed it on Kyiv, as reported by CNN. He also said that this attack could not be left unanswered.
The intense bombarding killed at least 19 people, CNN reported. It also targeted civilian areas across the country which drew global outrage.
The strikes forced people to reduce power consumption due to significant damage to power systems across Ukraine.
(With Inputs from agencies)