Russia says its attack on Ukraine facility killed ‘up to 180 foreign mercenaries’

Russia said on Sunday that its attack on the Yavoriv training facility in western Ukraine killed "up to 180 foreign mercenaries" and destroyed a large amount of weapons supplied by outside nations.

Defense ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov told a briefing that Russia would continue its attacks against what he called foreign mercenaries.

Reuters could not independently verify the statements.

Ukrainian regional governor Maksym Kozytskyy said 35 people were killed and 134 wounded in the attack.

Konashenkov said Russia had used high-precision, long-range weapons to strike Yavoriv and a separate facility in the village of Starichi. He said both bases were being used to train foreign mercenaries and store weapons.

"As a result of the strike, up to 180 foreign mercenaries and a large amount of foreign weapons were destroyed," he said.

The attack came one day after Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow considered convoys of Western arms shipments to Ukraine to be legitimate targets. — Reuters