Ukrainian media and military sources reported on Monday that a Russian missile strike on Saturday targeted an awards ceremony for Ukrainian soldiers stationed at a base far from the front line, prompting internal criticism over the decision to hold large gatherings even in rear areas.
According to reports, the strike occurred in the Samarivsky District of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, more than 130 kilometers from the nearest front line. A Russian Iskander-M ballistic missile struck an open-air ceremony honoring personnel from Ukraine’s 35th Separate Marine Brigade and other units. The event was reportedly being held to recognize pilots, commanders, and infantry members on a parade ground when the missile hit.
Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Sviatnenko, whose brother Volodymyr was killed in the attack, was among the first to confirm the incident. Journalist Yuri Podolyaka later added that several drone operators—considered essential to Ukraine’s battlefield operations—were also present at the time of the strike.
Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) has launched a criminal probe into the officers who organized the outdoor ceremony, citing concerns that the open setting may have made the troops more vulnerable to detection and attack.
This incident is not the first time Russian missiles have struck Ukrainian military gatherings. In April, two Iskander-M missiles hit Sumy State University during an awards ceremony for the 117th Territorial Defense Brigade. A year earlier, in November 2023, another Iskander strike targeted troops assembled on a parade ground just 15 kilometers from the front line in the Zaporizhzhia region. The deadliest of such incidents occurred in September 2024, when a missile hit a graduation ceremony for drone operators at the Poltava Military Institute of Communications, killing more than 60 cadets.
While Ukrainian officials have not released casualty figures from Saturday’s strike, analysts note that the attack’s distance from the front line may mark a shift in Russia’s targeting strategy—expanding its deep-strike operations into areas previously considered secure.
In recent months, Russian forces have increasingly targeted Ukrainian training camps and logistical hubs, prompting Ukraine’s Defense Ministry in July to announce that most training activities would henceforth be conducted underground to reduce exposure to aerial attacks.