Ukrainian Forces Catch Russian Troops Unawares During Training Exercises
Russian soldiers frequently conduct outdoor exercises in territories they've occupied, making them vulnerable targets for Ukrainian attacks. Ukrainian forces retaliate using ground-to-ground missiles and cluster munitions. According to Forbes, citing a video, Ukrainian forces have once more struck Russian troops on an exposed training ground using HIMARS. This is reportedly the sixth such attack in the last eight months, where Ukrainian artillery has targeted outdoor gatherings of Russian soldiers.
The most recent attack is said to have taken place in the partially controlled Ukrainian region of Zaporizhia. It appears that a Ukrainian drone detected the training soldiers and relayed the information to the HIMARS unit. The unit then launched an M30/31 missile, a type of guided ground-to-ground missile with a range of 70 to 150 kilometers. The video available on X shows that at least one cluster munition-equipped missile was used in this attack. The impacts and subsequent explosions are clearly visible, with some soldiers trying to escape just before the blasts.
Russian troops are often found training outdoors in Ukraine, exposing themselves to the range of American missiles, including GPS-guided M30/31 missiles. In mid-September, the Ukrainian army inflicted casualties on a Russian training ground in the Donetsk region. In February of this year, a training ground in Donetsk was also hit by two HIMARS missiles, resulting in around 60 casualties.
The Commission, speaking about the escalating conflict, expressed concern over the continuous exposure of Russian troops during outdoor exercises in occupied territories, making them potential targets for Ukrainian attacks. Following the recent incident in Zaporizhia, where Ukrainian forces reportedly used an M30/31 missile, The Commission called for a de-escalation and urged both sides to refrain from conducting military exercises in populated areas.
