ATACMS Strike on Russian Training Ground in Luhansk Results in Over 100 Russian Casualties

Over 100 Russian soldiers are reported to have been killed or wounded following an attack on a training facility in the Luhansk region. The attack involved the use of U.S.-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS). Video evidence provided appears to show the strike at Mozhnyakivka, resulting in heavy Russian casualties.

Luhansk Oblast, Ukrainian forces conducted a strike on a Russian training ground with a trio of US-supplied M39 ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles.
At least one ATACMS directly hit a group of over 100 Russian soldiers, showering them with hundreds of M74 APAM bomblets. pic.twitter.com/IBHKaoaxsb
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) May 1, 2024

The introduction of long-range ATACMS into the Ukrainian arsenal marks a pivotal development, as these missiles have the capability to hit targets up to 300 kilometers away, enabling Ukraine to reach deeper into enemy territory. The footage, which has yet to be independently confirmed by global news outlets, shows several missiles impacting the training area, with at least one missile reported as a dud.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in its analysis pointed out that the strike targeted a Russian military position approximately 80 kilometers behind the frontline, with an estimated 116 Russian personnel killed in the attack.

This strike adds to the growing tally of Russian losses, with the Ukrainian military reporting that Moscow’s forces lost 1,030 soldiers over the last 24 hours alone, summing up to a total of 470,870 since the conflict’s onset. These figures, provided by the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces have not been independently verified and typically exceed estimates from Western sources. Moscow’s own reports of its military losses remain sparse, with the last known official count at 5,937 troops lost, as reported in September 2022.