Yavoriv military base attack
Part of in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

Aftermath of the missile strike
Date13 March 2022
Location
Yavoriv military base, Yavoriv, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine
Belligerents
 Russia  Ukraine
Commanders and leaders
Unknown Unknown
Units involved
 Russian Armed Forces

 Ukrainian Armed Forces

Casualties and losses
None Per Ukraine:[1]
61 killed, 160 wounded
Per Russia:
up to 180 foreign volunteers killed[2]

The Yavoriv military base was attacked by Russian forces on 13 March 2022 as part of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The base is located near the city of Yavoriv, Lviv Oblast, less than 15 miles from the border with Poland. According to Ukrainian officials, the military facility was hit by 30 Russian missiles, with initial reports stating between 35 and more than 40 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 134 others were injured. According to Russian officials, '180 foreign mercenaries' were killed.[3][4][5][6] Later, the Ukrainian police confirmed 61 people were killed and 160 were injured.[1]

Events

As many as 1,000 foreign fighters had been training at the base as part of the Ukrainian Foreign Legion.[7] Air raid sirens sounded during the night and though automated air defense equipment arrested some incoming ordinance, several buildings including the headquarters were struck with cruise missiles carrying payloads of up to 500kg. Volunteers repositioned into the woods and over 50 were injured in the ensuing panic.[8]

The Russian Ministry of Defence announced that it had destroyed "up to 180 foreign mercenaries and a large consignment of foreign weapons" and said that Russia would continue attacks on foreign fighters in Ukraine; the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence said that it had not confirmed any foreigners among the dead.[9] On 14 March, British newspaper The Mirror said that at least three British ex-special forces volunteers may have been killed in the attack, with the total amount of dead volunteers potentially surpassing one hundred.[10][11] On 17 March, a German volunteer who survived the attack told the Austrian Newspaper Heute that at least 100 foreign volunteers had been present at the moment one of the buildings was destroyed, and none survived. He said the death toll released by the Ukrainian government only accounted for Ukrainian personnel.[12]

In an interview with Última Hora, the mother of Spanish soldier Angel Martinez, who died on 18 June, said that "When there was an attack in Lviv, he contacted me because he was very scared. He wrote to me that he was on guard duty when they were bombed. He told me that 138 people were killed and 48 were injured. They weren't allowed to send pictures."[13]

Ukraine's Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov described the strike as a "terrorist attack on peace and security near the EU-Nato border".[5] A NATO official stated that there were no NATO personnel at the base, as all personnel had left the country prior to the invasion.[14]

References

  1. 1 2 "Former KGB officer detained in Lviv Oblast for correcting Russian missile strikes". Ukrainska Pravda. 28 June 2022.
  2. ↑ "Russia claims to kill '180 foreign mercenaries' in strike on western Ukraine". Times of Israel. 13 March 2022.
  3. ↑ "Update on Yavoriv air strike: 35 dead, 134 wounded". Ukrinform. 13 March 2022.
  4. ↑ McDonnell, Patrick J (31 March 2022). "U.S. military veterans answer Zelensky's call to fight, but not all are chosen". Yahoo News.
  5. 1 2 "Ukraine war: Missiles hit military site near western city of Lviv". BBC News. 13 March 2022. Archived from the original on 16 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  6. ↑ "Russia sends message with Yavoriv strike but attack on Poland unlikely". the Guardian. 13 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  7. ↑ Ramzy, Austin (13 March 2022). "The base attacked in western Ukraine has been a hub for foreign militaries". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  8. ↑ "Lindybeige interviews 'Joe'". Lindybeige. 30 November 2022.
  9. ↑ Krever, Mick (13 March 2022). "Ukraine denies Russia's claims it has killed up to 180 foreign mercenaries during strike on Yavoriv military base". CNN. Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  10. ↑ Hughes, Chris; Thornton, Lucy (14 March 2022). "Three British ex-special forces troops feared dead in Russian attack near Polish border". The Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  11. ↑ Gregory, Andy; Batchelor, Tom (15 March 2022). "Fears three British ex-special forces troops killed by Russian attack in Ukraine". The Independent. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  12. ↑ "Enthüllt – auch Österreicher kämpfen im Ukraine-Krieg". Heute (in Austrian German). 17 March 2022.
  13. ↑ ""No pensé que mi hijo decidiría ir a la guerra"". Ultima Hora (in Spanish). 21 June 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  14. ↑ Bloodied but alive after Russian air strike in western Ukraine Archived 14 March 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Reuters
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