Russia raised this Wednesday 89 dead in the Ukrainian attack on New Year’s Eve over the town of Makéyevka in the annexed Donetsk region, fueling criticism of the military leadership.
The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed its responsibility and the Army’s Strategic Communications Department claimed a much higher record of Russian casualties. about 400 dead and 300 injured. However, these figures were not confirmed by the General Staff.
On the Russian side, the initial balance of 63 victims was corrected upwards after the discovery of new bodies under the rubble of the military base, just attacked 00:01 on January 1sthinted Russian General Sergei Sevriukov in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
According to the general was the “main reason” for the attack “the use of mobile phones” by soldierswhich allowed its location to be revealed, he said.
Sevriukov assured that “the necessary measures have been taken to avoid these tragic incidents in the future” and so on “Those responsible will be held accountable”.
It’s about highest death toll in a single attack recognized by Moscow since the start of its offensive in February and is coming to the bottom after a series of military setbacks. According to Russian media, the victims were recruits, i.e. non-professional soldiers.
Result after the Ukrainian bombardment of the Russian position where the soldiers celebrated New Year’s Eve. Makiivka (Makeyevka), occupied Ukraine, January 3, 2023. Portal/Alexander Ermochenko
“Impunity”
The announcement of the new balance caused a new wave of criticism of Russia’s military leadershipwas already criticized for his “incompetence” by Russian correspondents and commentators on Monday and Tuesday.
The leadership of the RT chain, the Kremlin’s international propaganda arm, asked to publish the names of the Russian commanders and “Your Responsibilities”.
“It is time to understand that impunity does not lead to social harmony. Impunity leads to new crimes. And consequently to public dissent,” Margarita Simonian wrote on Telegram.
Many Russians called for a transparent explanation of the events on social networks. “They will drag it and in the worst case load someone with it”said Valery Butorin on the VK platform.
«Neither the mobile phones nor their owners are to be blamed, but on the banal negligence of the commanders who, I’m sure, didn’t even try to reinstate the staff,” lamented the Notes from a Veteran group on Telegram, which has 200,000 followers.
According to the Russian army, the attack was carried out using the HIMARS rocket launcher systemsa weapon supplied by the US to Ukraine that allows attacks behind enemy lines.
Russian war correspondents have blamed Russian commanders not to learn from your past mistakes and blame the soldiers.
The Rybar account on Telegram with a million followers is described as “criminal naive” for the army to store ammunition next to the dormitories.
“The pain unites us”
In an unusual event in Russia, where authorities tend to keep a low profile over military casualties in Ukraine, About 200 people gathered Tuesday to honor those killed in Samarawhere some deceased soldiers came from.
“It’s very difficult, it’s scary. But they can’t break us. Pain connects us», explained at the ceremony in an Orthodox church Ekaterina Kolotovkina, who heads a group of military wives.
During the act, soldiers Salutes were fired in memory of the victims and participants laid roses and offerings in a square in the center of town.
Russian soldiers fire a gun salute to commemorate their fallen comrades. Samara, Russia. Portal/Albert Dzen
Russian President Vladimir Putin has not yet publicly responded.
This Wednesday, the Russian President led the deployment of a warship equipped via video conference with new hypersonic cruise missilesfor a mission in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and in the Mediterranean Sea.
Hostilities continue on the Ukrainian front.
Russian General Sevriukov claimed his forces destroyed several HIMARS launchers in the town of Druzhkivka in Donetsk and inflicted significant casualties among the Kiev troops.
Ukraine only one death was reported there and the destruction of an ice rink.
On the Crimean Peninsula, annexed by Moscow in 2014, the governor of the city of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvojayev, pointed to the Russian fleet repelled a drone attacktwo of whom were killed.
One in charge of the Russian occupation in the south, Vladimir Rogov, reported the death of two civilians in Vasilevka in the Zaporizhia region after a Ukrainian HIMARS shot.
The Ukrainian General Staff reported shelling in Kramatorsk (east), Zaporizhia and Kherson (south) on Wednesday. The Presidency reported five dead and 13 wounded by Russian fire in the past 24 hours.