Russia acknowledged the highest number of casualties in a single attack in Ukraine following a bombing in Makéyevkain the east of the country, which left at least 63 soldiers dead.
Here’s what we know regarding this bombing claimed by the ukrainian army.
What happened in Makeyevka?
On Monday in the early followingnoon, the russian ministry of defense issued a rare announcement announcing that 63 of its soldiers were killed in a bombardment using a HIMARS missile system, a weapon delivered by USA a Ukrainewhich allows long-range attacks.
The bombardment occurred in the town of Makéyevkain a territory occupied for a long time by Moscowto the east of Donetskone of the strongholds controlled by pro-Russian separatists fighting once morest Kiev in the conflict that began in 2014.
The spokesman for russian ministry of defenseIgor Konashenkov, who did not specify the date of the attack, reported that four missiles hit “a temporary deployment center” of the Russian army. The official indicated that two other rockets were shot down.
The announcement is unusual in that it is the highest number of casualties in a single attack since the start of the russian invasion in February and it is the first balance of military losses made since September. Then, the Russian Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, reported 5,937 deaths in the Russian ranks in several months of fighting.
What do the Ukrainians say?
Ukraine acknowledged that he launched this attack on December 31, before the New Yearbut the information regarding the Russian losses in Makéyevka they are contradictory.
The Department of Strategic Communications of the Ukrainian Army reported on Telegram a balance of more than 400 dead and 300 wounded.
Meanwhile, the general staff indicated that it does not have definitive figures on the number of Russian casualties, but it did report that up to ten military vehicles of all kinds were destroyed.
Why so many deaths?
The Russian army did not explain the reason for this high casualty balance, but the Ukrainian forces cited that there was a “concentration zone” of soldiers in Makéyevka.
On Sunday, Russian and Ukrainian media began reporting on this attack claiming that the building bombed it housed Russian conscripts, that is, non-professional soldiers.
A source from the local separatist authorities explained to the Russian agency TASS that this bombing It occurred because many soldiers used their mobile phones, which allowed them to be geolocated by the ukrainians.
What has been the reaction in Russia?
The announcement of these casualties caused a commotion in Russia and it also generated criticism once morest the military commanders, who have accumulated several humiliating defeats on the Ukrainian front in recent months.
“Despite the fact that several months of war have passed, some conclusions have not yet been reached,” the blogger noted. Boris Rojinclose to the environment of the Ukrainian separatists, who reproached the “incompetence” of the Russian military high command.
For his part, the Russian war correspondent Alexander Kots he wondered why conscripts continue to be installed in hotels, hostels and schools.
The former Separatist commander Igor Strelkov He explained that the building was completely destroyed by the bombardment, since there was an ammunition depot there.
This Tuesday, commemorative ceremonies were organized in the Russian city of Samara and in other surrounding towns, where a part of the victims originate from.
AFP