Gunmen kill 11 trainee-volunteer soldiers at Russian military base

Gunmen have opened fire on people at at a Russian military training ground on Saturday, killing at least 11, Per Second News gathered.

The attackers opened fire on a group of volunteers who wished to fight in Ukraine.

Reports say that the deceased suspects were nationals from a former Soviet republic, but no further details were given.

“During a firearms training session with individuals who voluntarily expressed a desire to participate in the special military operation (against Ukraine), the terrorists opened fire with small arms on the personnel of the unit,” RIA cited a defence ministry statement as saying.

“As a result of the shooting, 11 people were fatally wounded. Another 15 people with wounds of varying severity were taken to a medical facility,” it said.

Authorities in Belgorod have repeatedly accused Ukraine of attacking targets in the city, including power lines and fuel and ammunition stores. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility.

Putin said on Friday that over 220,000 reservists already had been called up as part of an effort to recruit 300,000.

Though, the Russian leader declared that only people who had recently served in the military will be subject to the call-up, activists and rights groups reported military conscription offices rounding up people without any army experience — some of whom were also unfit for service for medical reasons.

Some of the freshly called-up reservists posted Videos of them being forced to sleep on the floor or even outside and given rusty weapons before being sent to the front lines.