According to Ukraine, over 400 Russian servicemen perished in a missile strike on the captured Donetsk region.
Russian officials dispute the amount, stating that just 63 of their soldiers were killed in the explosion. Both claims have not been verified.
The attack targeted a structure in the city of Makiivka, where it was believed that Russian forces were stationed.
Meanwhile, air raid sirens wailed in Kyiv on Sunday night as the latest wave of Russian attacks continued.
According to a statement released by Russia’s defense ministry on Monday, Ukrainian forces fired six missiles. From a rocket system produced in the United States called Himars against a structure housing Russian troops. It claimed that two of them were shot down.
Earlier, Daniil Bezsonov, a prominent Russian-backed official in the occupied areas of Donetsk, reported that a missile struck Makiivka two minutes after midnight on the first day of the new year.
“The vocational school was dealt a devastating blow”
He remarked. There were fatalities and injuries.
Even though access to Russian-controlled areas is restricted, several Russian pundits. And bloggers recognized the attack but stated the number of casualties was lower than reported.
Vladimir Solovyov, a Russian presenter, forwarded a Telegram stating that “losses were serious… but nothing near 400.”
Igor Girkin, a pro-Russian analyst, stated that hundreds of people had been murdered and wounded. While the precise figure was uncertain due to the high number of people who were still missing. The structure was “nearly entirely demolished,” he said.
He stated that the majority of the victims were mobilized troops, or recent conscripts, as opposed to volunteers. In addition, he stated that ammunition was housed in the same building as the soldiers, which exacerbated the harm.
Nearly all of the military equipment that stood close to the structure without any concealment was also destroyed,” he stated on Telegram.
Girkin is a well-known military blogger who led Russian-backed separatists during their 2014 occupation of significant portions of eastern Ukraine. Recently, he was found guilty of murder for his role in the downing of flight MH17.
Despite his pro-Russian position, he frequently criticizes the Russian military leadership and its methods.
According to the Ukrainian military, in addition to the reported 400 fatalities, 300 were wounded.
There is a need for prudence, as the Ukrainian army claims to have killed dozens. And occasionally hundreds, of soldiers in raids practically daily. Nonetheless, if the accusations are verified. This could be one of the worst Ukrainian attacks on Russian sites during the war.
Ukraine has not verified that the assaults were conducted using Himars missiles. Keeping its long-standing policy of not disclosing information about its actions.
It simply said sarcastically that the deaths were caused by “careless handling of heating devices, disregard for safety procedures, and smoking in an unknown location.”
Overnight on December 31st, at least 25 missiles were fired toward the region, according to the Russian-installed government.
Hours after the attack at Makiivka, Kyiv was attacked. The Ukrainian capital’s regional governor, Oleksiy Kuleba, said that a drone and missile attack targeted vital infrastructure.
The wreckage from a downed Russian drone hurt one individual in Kyiv, the capital’s mayor stated.
Mr. Kuleba stated that the weapons were Shahid drones manufactured in Iran, adding that they “targeted important infrastructure facilities.”
“The most important thing right now is to remain calm and in shelters until the alarm is turned off,” he said.
All 39 Iranian drones were eventually shot down by Ukraine, according to the military. However, Vitaly Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, stated that electricity and heating supplies were disrupted due to damage to energy installations.
Russia has been targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for several months, destroying power stations and putting millions of people into darkness throughout the frigid winter months.
