Ukrainian Ground Forces commander resigns over deadly training ground strike

He announced the decision via Telegram, according to Ukrinform.

"I have made the decision to submit my resignation from the post of Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This is a conscious step, driven by my personal sense of responsibility for the tragedy at the 239th training range, which resulted in the deaths of our soldiers. As commander, I failed to fully ensure the implementation of my orders. I didn't push hard enough, didn't persuade strongly enough, didn't change the attitude toward the people in uniform. This is my responsibility," Drapatyi said.

In his opinion, while individual soldier behavior matters, ultimate responsibility always lies with command. It is the commanders, he said, who set the rules, make decisions, and bear the consequences.

According to Drapatyi, complicity and impunity are poison to the military — poison he tried to eradicate from the Ground Forces.

"But if tragedies keep happening, then my efforts were not enough. We have no right to operate in a system that doesn't learn. If we don't draw conclusions, don't change our attitude toward service, don't admit our mistakes — we are doomed. Without personal responsibility, there is no development. Without development, there is no victory," he said.

Drapatyi stressed that an army where commanders are personally accountable for the lives of their troops will endure — while one where no one is held responsible for losses will rot from within.

He recalled that the tragedy at the 239th training ground claimed 12 lives and left others wounded.

"These were young men from a training battalion. Most of them were in shelters. They were meant to learn, live, fight — not die," he said.

The commander extended his condolences to the families of the fallen and to all who were affected.

He initiated a full review of the incident, including the actions of local commanders, the condition of shelters, and the effectiveness of warning systems.

"All those injured are receiving assistance. But no investigation will bring back those we lost. We will not win this war if we do not build an army where honor is not just a word, but an action. Where responsibility is not punishment, but the foundation of trust. Where every commander is accountable each day — for orders, for decisions, for every soldier," Drapatyi said.

On June 1, Russian forces launched a missile strike on a Ukrainian Ground Forces training unit. Twelve people were killed and another 60 injured in the attack.

Drapatyi was appointed Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces in late November 2024 and officially took up the post in December.