50 Western Instructors Killed in Missile Attack in Ukraine: Russian Media Claims

A Russian ballistic missile attack in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine has reportedly resulted in the deaths of approximately 50 Western military instructors, according to Russian state media.

The TASS news agency, citing an unnamed source from the Russian Defense Ministry, reported that an Iskander-M missile targeted a temporary deployment point for Western instructors and mercenaries in Derhachi, a locality about 12 kilometers northwest of Kharkiv.

The exact timing of the attack was not specified, and Ukrainian authorities have not yet commented on the report. The claim has not been independently verified.

The Regional Prosecutor’s Office reported that the Russian army has shelled four settlements in the Kharkiv region, resulting in one injury.

In March, Russia stated that its forces had killed nearly 6,000 foreign volunteers fighting for Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. The Ukrainian government had previously announced the formation of an international territorial defense legion to include foreign fighters supporting Kyiv.