The toll from the January 1 Ukrainian attack on Makiivka, in the Russian-controlled territory of eastern Ukraine, has risen to 89, the Russian defense ministry said on Wednesday.
“The number of our dead comrades has risen to 89″Lieutenant General Sergei Sevryukov said in a video statement released by the ministry after more bodies were found under the rubble.
Ukraine hit a temporary base in Makiivka at 00:01 on Jan. 1 using US-supplied HIMARS missile systems, Sevryukov said.
Russia admitted in an extremely rare announcement Monday that 63 soldiers lost their lives in an attack on Makiivka, the largest loss of life in a single attack reported by Moscow since the Ukrainian offensive began.
The admission of heavy losses comes after Russian war correspondents, who have gained influence in recent months, accused top Russian commanders of fatal incompetence.
Kiev claimed responsibility for the attack and the Ukrainian military said the death toll was much higher.
Seryukov revealed that the use of mobile phones by Russian soldiers left them unprotected. “A committee is working to investigate the circumstances of what happened, but it is already clear that the main reason was the massive use of mobile phones”he said, noting that measures are being taken to ensure that such incidents do not happen again in the future.
Russian war correspondents accused the Russian war commanders of not learning from past mistakes and shifting the blame onto the troops.
Seryukov also said Russia destroyed Ukraine’s multiple missile system used in the Makiivka attack.
Source: DN
