Russian missiles kill 10 at event near Kiev, launch probe | Today’s news
At least 10 people have been killed in a Russian missile attack on a rally at a training ground near the Ukrainian capital, prompting an investigation into possible negligence by event organizers.
About 100 other people were injured in Friday’s attack, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said on Telegram, without specifying the nature of the incident. The strike hit a site where representatives of the country’s arms industry were present, the Defense Industry Council of Ukraine, an association of private defense industry manufacturers, said in a statement on Facebook.
“The war does not absolve anyone of responsibility for the decisions of the leadership,” Kravchenko said. “On the contrary, it requires the utmost professionalism, caution and awareness of every step.”
Investigators will determine who decided to hold the event, who approved its location, timing and format, what security measures were in place and whether the risks were properly assessed under martial law, he said. A war crimes investigation into the Russian strike has also been launched, Kravchenko said.
“Efforts to determine exactly what happened and the fate of those affected are continuing,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X after the strike.
Telegram monitoring channels reported several high-speed rockets approaching Kiev at around 11:30 a.m. local time, an unusual time for such an attack, as Russian fire is more often launched overnight or early in the morning.
Russian forces fired three Iskander-M ballistic missiles, or S-400 air defense missiles used in the ground attack role, from the north, the Ukrainian Air Force said in Telegram. One missile was intercepted, while two hit the Buch district near Kyiv.
The attack hit a private military training ground where the event was held, the Kyiv regional state administration said on its website. The private sports complex, which is not connected to the military, was damaged, Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said on local television.
“Whatever went on there will be investigated,” he said.
The targeted civilian facility does not fall under the authority or control of the defense forces, the Suspilne news website reported, citing the press service of the country’s general staff. Organizers of public events must take security risks into account as much as possible during wartime and use shelters, General Staff Suspilne said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its military had struck the site of a drone demonstration. The event hosted Ukrainian drone developers, manufacturers and representatives of the military command, the ministry said.
During Russia’s war, there were incidents of attacks on mass gatherings in Ukraine, prompting public criticism for the lack of measures. Ballistic missile attacks are particularly difficult to defend against because they reach their target within minutes, leaving little time for people to take cover.
In August 2023, a Russian missile struck a theater in downtown Chernihiv during a conference on drone technology, killing seven people and injuring more than 140. The attack prompted Ukrainian authorities to tighten rules governing public announcements of defense-related events.
Russian ballistic missiles also hit military ceremonies. One such attack in 2025 killed 12 soldiers and injured 60 others at a training base, leading to the resignation of then-ground forces commander Mykhail Drapaty, who took responsibility for the failure of subordinate officers. Drapatyi was appointed the new Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine on Tuesday.
This article was generated from an automated news agency source without text modification.
