More than 100 Russian soldiers are believed to have been killed in Ukraine’s eastern Luhansk region after footage emerged showing a potential U.S.-supplied ATACMS attack on a Russian training ground. The video, shared by a volunteer with GeoConfirmed, showed a strike with multiple ATACMS missiles hitting the area, resulting in significant losses according to the source. The U.S. recently sent Ukraine long-range ATACMS missiles capable of hitting targets up to 300 kilometers away, but the exact location and time of the attack in the footage could not be independently verified.
The Institute for the Study of War highlighted the footage in its analysis, stating that Ukrainian forces struck a Russian training ground with ATACMS missiles, killing an estimated 116 Russian personnel. This strike was said to have taken place about 80 kilometers behind the front line in the rear of Luhansk. Kyiv’s military reported that over 1,000 Russian soldiers were lost in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to nearly 471,000 according to estimates by the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces. However, these figures could not be independently verified, with casualty numbers in the conflict varying between sources.
The open-source intelligence account OSINTtechnical shared information on the attack, stating that the strike involved M39 ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles that hit a group of over 100 Russian soldiers with M74 APAM bomblets. The account also provided a still image showing the soldiers gathered before the strikes. Russia’s Defense Ministry and the Kremlin have not commented on the reported attack, and details about casualties from the Russian side are typically not disclosed. Estimates suggest that thousands of Russian troops have been killed in the conflict since it began, while Ukraine’s casualties are also significant.
The video of the reported ATACMS strike on the Russian training ground raised concerns about the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine and the use of advanced weaponry in the region. Kyiv’s military has been actively engaged in fighting against Russian forces, with updates on casualties and losses provided regularly. The conflict has resulted in significant casualties on both sides, with Ukraine facing a high number of casualties according to leaked assessments. As the war continues, efforts to verify casualty numbers and understand the impact of the conflict remain a challenge for journalists and analysts covering the Russia-Ukraine war.
In the search for common ground and understanding of the conflict, Newsweek remains committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections between various aspects of the Russia-Ukraine war. The use of advanced military equipment, such as ATACMS missiles, highlights the intensity of the fighting in the region and the challenges faced by both Ukrainian and Russian forces. With ongoing updates on casualties and losses, the impact of the conflict on the region and the global community continues to be a topic of concern and interest for those following the developments in Ukraine.
