Ukraine Missile Strikes Leave 63 Russian Soldiers Dead
The Wire Staff
Real journalism holds power accountable
Since 2015, The Wire has done just that.
But we can continue only with your support.
New Delhi: Ukrainian missiles struck a temporary deployment facility of Russian forces in the Moscow-held city of Makiivka, resulting in the death of 63 recently mobilised troops on New Year's Day.
The Russian defence ministry, in a rare admission, said two rockets that were launched in the attack were shot down while four missiles hit the military base in the city of Makiivka, reported The Guardian. All the rockets were US-supplied Himras missiles, it said.
The attack took place around 2 minutes after the New Year, said Daniil Bezsonov, a senior Moscow proxy official in Russian-occupied Donetsk.
“A massive blow was dealt to the vocational school from American MLRS Himars,” Bezsonov wrote in a post on the Telegram messaging app, referring to US-provided missiles. “There were dead and wounded; the exact number is still unknown.”
Ukrainian military acknowledged the attack and reported that “up to 10 units of enemy military equipment of various types were destroyed and damaged in the area of concentration in the settlement of Makiivka”
Russian war supporters also acknowledged the attack but seemed to suggest that the number of casualties was higher than the official figures. They were critical of the Russian military’s decision to station soldiers and store ammunition in an area that could be struck by Ukraine’s missile radar, according to The Guardian. Makiivka is a twin city of the Russian-occupied regional capital of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.
The strike came as a response to Russia’s drone attack on Kyiv on New Year’s Eve. The country’s air force said it had successfully shot down 45 Iranian-designed Shahed drones on either side of midnight, one of which had the message “Happy New Year” handwritten on its tailfin, according to a photo released by Ukraine’s police.
Presidents of both countries addressed their nations on New Year's Eve. Putin, in his longest address of 9 minutes, claimed that the country’s attacks were in the interest of the nation’s independence and that the West had a hand in stirring up the conflict between the two countries.
Zelenskiy said he hoped the new year would bring a successful conclusion to the fighting, and peace to the country. He also mentioned how he wants the countless soldiers, emigrants, and prisoners to return to their homes from Russia.
This article went live on January third, two thousand twenty three, at forty-seven minutes past five in the evening.The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.