Ukrainian troops showered with bomblets in Iskander missile strike (VIDEO)

A Russian missile strike has inflicted extensive damage on a Ukrainian military column in the northeast of the country, footage released by the Defense Ministry in Moscow shows.

The attack took place near the village of Stetsovka in Sumy Region, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. The settlement is located roughly 10km north of the region’s administrative center.

The Russian military believes the Iskander-M missile strike destroyed an artillery munitions storage dump and 20 Ukrainian vehicles, as well as killing up to 65 troops.

The video released by the ministry was apparently filmed by a drone using an infrared camera. It shows a stationary column of large vehicles that are understood to have been trucks. Multiple explosions could then be seen in the area, indicating a cluster weapon strike. Later, a massive fire could be seen raging in the forest next to a crossroads following what appears to have been a secondary detonation.

The video began circulating on social media on Monday. Initial reports claimed that the high casualty number was explained by the fact that Ukrainian soldiers had gathered at the location for an inspection at the time of the missile strike.

It highlighted the importance of reconnaissance for the effective use of long-range weapons, the post said.

Since last week, the Russian military has released multiple videos demonstrating the use of the Iskander missile system against Ukrainian targets. The weapons successfully hit three HIMARS rocket launchers armed with ATACMS ballistic missiles in Kherson Region, two Patriot air-defense launchers in Odessa Region, two S-300 air-defense launchers in Poltava Region, and military aircraft at several Ukrainian airfields, according to reports.