Latest news with #LandForces
Russia Today
05-06-2025
- General
- Russia Today
Ukrainian general reassigned days after stepping down
Ukrainian General Mikhail Drapaty has been assigned to a top military post just days after submitting his resignation as the head of Ukraine's Land Forces. The move comes amid reports of increased infighting among senior Ukrainian military officials. Kiev's forces have experienced setbacks on the battlefield since late 2023, following an attempted counteroffensive that failed to breach Russian defenses. Reports of mounting frustration and internal tensions have circulated as battlefield momentum has shifted in Russia's favor. Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky announced on Tuesday that Drapaty – who had resigned after accepting responsibility for fatal Russian strikes on military training sites – will now lead a specialized command established in 2020 to help align Ukraine's armed forces with NATO operational methods. The position is currently tasked with overseeing frontline operations against Russia. In his new role, Drapaty will 'focus solely on combat issues,' while a separate appointee will manage troop training, Zelensky said. The move is part of a broader reshuffle within Ukraine's military leadership. Announcing his resignation, Drapaty had criticized the Ukrainian military's failure to learn from past mistakes or to hold senior officers accountable. He condemned what he described as a culture of mutual self-protection within senior ranks, calling it 'poison for the army' and saying Ukraine 'cannot win' without reforms to its armed forces. Drapaty reiterated his call for changes in a statement confirming his reassignment. Critics blame entrenched interests in the Ukrainian military for pervasive corruption, disregard for soldiers' lives, tendency to cover up battlefield problems from superiors up the command chain, and impunity for wrongdoing. Several media outlets have interpreted Drapaty's remarks as a veiled critique of General Aleksandr Syrsky, Ukraine's commander-in-chief. Commentary on the website has suggested that Zelensky's leadership shake-up may have been designed to balance influence between Syrsky's supporters and dissenting voices within the military. Zelensky dismissed Syrsky's predecessor, General Valery Zaluzhny, in early 2024 after Zaluzhny publicly questioned Kiev's strategic outlook. He argued that the conflict with Russia had reached a stalemate, contradicting public assurances from civilian leaders. Zaluzhny was sacked from the military and appointed ambassador to the UK. The Ukrainian military has since undergone multiple reshuffles of leadership, as the situation on the frontline increasingly turned in Russia's favor. Drapaty was given command of the Land Forces in November 2024.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Zelensky summons Drapatyi, who submitted resignation over Russian strike on Ukrainian training camp
President Volodymyr Zelensky has summoned Land Forces Commander Mykhailo Drapatyi for a high-level meeting after the latter submitted his resignation following a deadly Russian missile strike that killed at least 12 Ukrainian soldiers at a training camp in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Zelensky said on June 1. The meeting, scheduled following peace talks with a Russian delegation in Istanbul on June 2, will include top military officials: Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. "I scheduled a meeting... to sort it all out," Zelensky said in a video address. "All our combat soldiers are needed at the front — to defend Ukraine. Every one of them. And we must protect every life. All decisions necessary to ensure this will be made." The strike hit the 239th Polygon, a Ground Forces training ground north of the city of Dnipro. Drapatyi, confirming the location and announcing his resignation, said the victims were mostly young recruits who "should have learned, lived, and fought — not died." Drapatyi's superiors have yet to confirm whether his resignation has been accepted. Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian training sites have intensified in recent months. The 239th Polygon was also struck by an Iskander missile in March. The Land Forces press office said that if the investigation finds negligence or misconduct contributed to the casualties, those responsible will face strict accountability. Read also: 12 Ukrainian soldiers dead, 60 injured after Russian missile strike on training center We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ukrainian Land Forces Commander resigns after Russian attack that killed 12 soldiers on training grounds
The head of the Land Forces of Ukraine resigned on June 1 following a Russian attack that killed 12 service members under his command. "I have made the decision to file a letter of resignation from the position of Commander of the Land Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces," Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi in a statement on Telegram. "Twelve dead. There are injured. These are young lads from the training battalion. Most of them were in shelters. They should have learned, lived, and fought – not died." Drapatyi was referring to an incident in the morning of June 1 in which a Russian missile attack struck a training field and killed 12 soldiers and wounded 60 more. The field was at the time unidentified, but Drapatiy named it as the 239th Polygon, north of the city of Dnipro. Russia has targeted Ukrainian training grounds aggressively in recent months. The 239th Polygon was also the site of a similar attack with an Iskander ballistic missile in March. At the time, Drapatyi wrote: "Everyone who made decisions that day, and everyone who did not make them on time, will be held accountable. No one will hide behind explanations or formal reports." In its announcement of the June 1 attack, the Land Forces press office wrote: "In the event of a determination that the action or inaction of responsible individuals led to the death and injury of servicemen, those responsible will be brought to strict accountability." Read also: 12 Ukrainian soldiers dead, 60 injured after Russian missile strike on training center We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
12 Ukrainian soldiers dead, 60 injured after Russian missile strike on training center
A Russian missile struck a Ukrainian military training ground on the morning of June 1, killing 12 and injuring 60, Ukraine's Land Forces has said. A statement on the attack did not identify the location of the training grounds, nor the specific type of missile used by Russia. "We emphasize that no formations or massive gatherings of personnel were being conducted," the Land Forces press office said in the statement. The authorities say that the bulk of service members present were in air shelters following the alarms that preceded the strike, and that they have assembled a commission to investigate what caused the attack. "In the event of a determination that the action or inaction of responsible individuals led to the death and injury of servicemen, those responsible will be brought to strict accountability," the statement continued. A similar Russian missile attack on a shooting range killed six Ukrainian soldiers in Sumy Oblast late in May. Read also: Russia upgrades Iskander ballistic missiles, more difficult for Ukraine's Patriots to intercept, Air Force says We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Mint
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Ukraine Faces Sustained Russian Barrage Before Planned Talks
Ukraine came under one of the longest barrages from Russian missiles and drones early Sunday, with air sirens lasting for more then 9 hours, ahead of planned talks between Kyiv and Moscow this week. A strike on a military training center killed 12 people and wounded 60 others, Ukraine's Land Forces said in a Facebook post, without providing details of the center's location. Another person was killed and at least a dozen injured while residential areas, as well as civilian infrastructure, were damaged in central Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, southern Odesa and northern Kharkiv regions, local authorities reported on Telegram. The capital Kyiv and surrounding region also came under attack beginning Saturday night, with local governor Mykola Kalashnyk saying that Russia has increased the number of strike drones to attack civilian settlements. There were no injuries, though a dozen residential houses were damaged, he added. 'While Russia claims to be preparing for meetings to discuss peace, what it actually does is attack, terrorize, and destroy,' Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X. The attack came ahead of a planned second round of negotiations to end the war, preliminary scheduled for Monday in Istanbul. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Saturday announced 'new diplomatic steps' with Europe and the US, while reiterating that there's still no clear information about what exactly the Russians plan to bring to the table for talks. 'We don't have it, Türkiye doesn't have it, the United States doesn't have it either, and neither do other partners. And at this point, it looks far from serious,' Zelenskiy said in his regular address to the nation late Saturday. 'For now, however, we are only seeing new Russian strikes and new Russian assaults.' This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
