Putin's Guardsman Killed in Explosion at Military Range in Central Russia

A member of Vladimir Putin's internal military force has died in an explosion during firearms training at a military training ground, it has been reported.

The Russian National Guard serviceman, who has not been named, was killed "during scheduled firearms training" at the Dubrovichi training ground in Ryazan, about 110 miles southeast of Moscow, according to the Sirena Telegram channel.

The National Guard is an independent agency separate to the Russian Armed Forces and it reports directly to Putin under his powers as commander-in-chief. Its role includes securing Russia's borders, protecting state facilities, and combating terrorism and organized crime.

According to preliminary information, an explosive device detonated during scheduled firearms training, according to a statement on the Telegram channel of the Ryazan region's prosecutor's office, which Newsweek has contacted for comment by email.

Later, representatives from Russia's Investigative Committee said that two other people were injured in the incident and are receiving medical attention, Russian outlet news.ru reported.

It is the latest fatal incident at a Russian military facility. On November 30, at least 12 soldiers were killed and eight were injured in an explosion at a training facility at the Kuzmin military training ground in the Rostov region in southern Russia, bordering Ukraine, local media reported.

The soldiers died after around 20 marine brigade personnel lit a fire next to ammunition stocks during their lunch break. "An RPG-7 grenade launcher shell rolled into the fire and exploded," according to the news outlet 161.ru, citing a government source.

Four of the soldiers who died had survived the initial blast but later succumbed to their injuries in hospital in an incident that neither Russia's Defense Ministry nor the Investigative Committee have commented on.

In February this year, Russian soldiers in the Kursk region, which also borders Ukraine, were killed in an explosion that was caused by soldiers who poured gasoline onto a cooking stove.

Meanwhile, in January, three Russian troops stationed in Belgorod were killed in an explosion which injured 16 others after a sergeant set off a grenade at his unit.

Russian emergency services said the man had "picked up an RGD-5 grenade in order to establish authority over his troops." The explosion took place in a center housing mobilized soldiers, detonating ammunition and sparking a fire over nearly 5,000 square feet, which took firefighters four hours to extinguish.