MOSCOW, June 1. /TASS/. Commander of Ukraine’s land forces Mikhail Drapaty has announced his decision to resign following a strike on an army training center killing 12 troops.

"O have decided to turn in my resignation as commander of the Ukrainian army’s ground forces. This is a conscious step stemming from the acknowledgement of my responsibility for the tragedy," he wrote on his Telegram channel.

Earlier on Sunday, twelve Ukrainian troops died and 60 others more received wounds after a missile attack on a Ukrainian army training center.

"I have ordered a probe into the circumstances of the tragedy: commanders’ actions, the state of shelters, the efficiency of alarm systems. All those hurt are receiving assistance," he added.

He acknowledged that this was not the first strike on Ukrainian army sites entailing mass casualties. He criticized commanders on the ground for losses. "As a commander I failed to ensure the fulfillment of my orders. <..> This is my responsibility," he noted. "Conspiracy of silence and impunity are a poison for the army. I tried to exterminate it from the ground troops. But is such tragedies continue occurring, it means that my efforts were not enough. we have no right to live in a system that cannot learn. If we don’t make any conclusions, if we don’t change our attitude to military service, we don’t acknowledge our mistakes, we are doomed."

Drapaty was appointed commander of Ukraine’s ground troops in late November 2024 to replace Alexander Pavlyuk. According to Ukrainian media, back in 2014, Drapaty took part in suppressing protests in Mariupol following the February state coup in the country. He was put on Russia’s wanted list in September 2023.