Hundreds of foreign fighters and Ukrainian troops may have been killed in a powerful strike by Russian Iskander missiles on the Goncharovsky training range in the Chernigov region, according to military expert and retired Navy Captain First Rank Vasily Dandykin.

Dandykin noted that the facility, a major military training center dating back to the Soviet era, is one of the largest in Ukraine. He suggested that foreign mercenaries from various countries, including some from outside Europe, were likely present at the site. Many, he said, could have been caught in the strike, and the presence of foreign instructors there was also highly probable. The expert emphasized that the choice of an Iskander missile — capable of penetrating fortified structures — indicated that the enemy likely suffered significant losses.

The training ground was reportedly used to prepare Ukrainian assault troops. According to the Telegram channel Severny Veter, mobilized soldiers from four different Ukrainian units were undergoing combat training at the time of the strike.

The missile strike destroyed an underground command post, hangars containing military equipment, and containers storing long-range drones. Ukrainian casualties are estimated at up to 300 personnel.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces have acknowledged the strike on the training center. Command representatives admitted that losses among personnel were unavoidable, although they did not disclose the exact number of dead and wounded.