ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
(ANSA-AFP) - KYIV, JAN 4 - Russia said Wednesday the toll
climbed in its worst single reported loss from a Ukrainian
strike, which under-criticism Moscow blamed on troops using
mobile phones. The Ukrainian military's strategic communications
unit has said nearly 400 Russian soldiers were killed and even
Russian commentators have said the death toll may be far higher
than the 89 Russia has reported. The death toll in Makiivka, a
Russian-occupied city in eastern Ukraine, is the highest
reported by the Russian military in a single strike since
Russian troops invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The deadly
strike came after months of discontent towards the military,
since the Kremlin suffered a series of battlefield defeats and
launched a hugely unpopular mobilisation drive. Russia's defence
ministry initially said on Monday that 63 soldiers had been
killed in an extremely rare admission. On Wednesday, the
ministry said the toll had climbed to 89 after more bodies were
found under the rubble of the temporary base where the troops
were housed. (ANSA-AFP).
