Hundreds of Russian conscripts killed in Ukrainian HIMARS strike on occupied Makiivka
On New Year's night, the Ukrainian Armed Forces carried a missile attack on the Russian base in the occupied city of Makiivka (Donetsk region). Several hundred Russian servicemen were killed and wounded, according to reports by Russian and Ukrainian media.
The news agency RBC Ukraine reports that almost exactly at midnight the building of the vocational school, which was used as a temporary base by the Russian military, came under a massive strike by Ukrainian MLRS systems. According to witnesses, the building, located near the village of Ilyich's Way at the intersection of Kremlevskaya and Chuguevskaya streets, was destroyed to the ground.
The Russian Defense Ministry officially confirmed the information about the missile strike on the barracks with Russian conscripts in the occupied city of Makiivka, Donetsk region.
"The Kiev regime struck using six HIMARS MLRS missiles produced by the United States a temporary base of the Russian military in the village of Makiivka, Donetsk People's Republic. Two HIMARS rockets were shot down by Russian air defense systems," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. The Ministry added that 63 Russian servicemen were killed in the attack.
The information of the Russia Ministry differs significantly from the information published by the Office of Strategic Communications under the Ukrainian Armed Forces- up to 400 dead and about 300 wounded.
Eyewitness reports and posts on social media point to hundreds of Russian servicemen killed.
"Indeed, there are a lot of dead there. I know that almost everything they had remained in that place (in the school building). All I know is that many were torn apart to such an extent that there was almost nothing left of the bodies. I know that one had to literally scrap the brains off the shoes, " the wife of one of the survivors told the Russian news outlet 7x7.
Governor if the Russian Samara region Dmitry Azarov confirmed that those mobilized from the Samara region were killed in the shelling of the vocational school in Makiivka.
"Our countrymen unfortunately came under a strike of the enemy forces. There are wounded, and, alas, there are dead. The information is currently being clarified," Azarov said and recommended that relatives of conscripts contact the military recruitment office to clarify the information.
"I am in constant contact with the Defense Ministry, the leadership of all support services. We will definitely provide comprehensive assistance in the treatment of the wounded. Families can count on our full support," he assured.
The former Defense Minister of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, Igor Girkin (aka Strelkov), warned that this could happen again at any time.
Girkin said that that the Russian generals do not learn from earlier mistakes.