Critics rise in Russia as death toll from Ukrainian strikes rises

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Commander-in-Chief says troops died because many were using cell phones, tracking signals

Many parts of Ukraine have been devastated since Russia sent troops on February 24, 2022. (AFP photo)

MOSCOW (Reuters) – The death toll from a Ukrainian New Year’s missile strike on a Russian-held town in eastern Ukraine rose to 89 on Wednesday, increasing pressure on Russia’s military rulers.

The strike on Makiivka led to Moscow’s biggest loss of life since it sent troops to Ukraine in February 2022 and was angrily greeted at home.

The devastation of the strike has intensified criticism from army commanders, with even pro-Kremlin commentators suggesting the death toll could be in the hundreds.

The deadly strike came after months of discontent with the military, since the Kremlin launched an unpopular mobilization campaign.

In the early hours of Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said the death toll had risen to 89.

He announced that a commission was working to clarify what had happened and promised that those responsible “guilty” would be punished.

In a video, Lt. Gen. Sergei Sevryukov said the tragedy likely happened because Russian troops used cellphones, revealing their location to Ukrainian forces.

But some critics have accused the army of trying to pass the blame.

State television military correspondents – whose influence grew during the offensive – accused senior commanders of deadly incompetence.

The strike also led to a rare public display of grief in some cities, notably in the Samara region on the Volga.

Thousands of people have been killed in Ukraine and millions have been forced to flee their homes since President Vladimir Putin ordered troops to attack on February 24.

Following a wave of Russian strikes on Ukrainian targets, Moscow said Ukraine struck a temporary base at Makiivka at 12:01 a.m. local time on January 1 using HIMARS rocket systems supplied by the United States.

Putin has yet to comment on the strike, which came shortly after his New Year’s address in which he hailed Moscow’s “heroes” fighting in Ukraine.

Kyiv took responsibility for the strike and said the toll could be much higher.

“Public Dissent”

In a sign that the criticisms were being taken seriously, the influential leader of Russia’s state broadcaster RT, Margarita Simonyan, welcomed the military’s promise that those responsible “will be held accountable”.

“I hope the names of these people” will be announced, she said.

“It is time to understand that impunity does not lead to social harmony. Impunity leads to new crimes. And, therefore, to public dissent.”

It was reported that the soldiers were quartered in an unprotected building which was destroyed because ammunition was stored on the premises and exploded during the strike.

The Rybar Telegram account, which has around a million subscribers, said it was “criminally naive” for the army to store ammunition next to dormitories.

Britain’s Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday that claims that ammunition was being stored near where troops were sleeping was a “realistic possibility”.

“The Russian military has a history of unsafe ammunition storage,” she said in a statement.

“This incident highlights how unprofessional practices contribute to Russia’s high casualty rate.”

“Heroic” troops praised

The governor of the Samara region – where some soldiers came from – Dmitry Azarov was due to visit the wounded who had been brought to the southern city of Rostov, near the Ukrainian border.

In comments to local media, he praised the “courage” of the troops.

“After the shelling, soldiers and officers – wounded and suffering from concussions – rescued other people, pulling comrades from under the rubble,” Azarov said.

Among the dead were rank and file soldiers as well as “representatives of the general staff”, he said.

East Ukrainian separatist leader Denis Pushilin also praised the “heroism” of the troops.

“The majority of them, after barely coming out of the building hit by the American Himars and regaining consciousness, returned to withdraw their comrades,” Pushilin said on Telegram.

As Moscow grapples with the aftermath of the Makiivka strike, authorities in Russia-annexed Crimea as well as the southern Rostov region said drones were shot down over their territories.

Rostov Region Governor Vasily Golubyev said air defense systems in the region were detonated in a village outside the major city of Rostov-on-Don.

In Samara, some 200 people gathered on Tuesday to mourn the Makiivka troops as an Orthodox priest recited a prayer.

Ekaterina Kolotovkina, leader of a group of army spouses, called for revenge.

“We will crush the enemy together. We have no choice.”

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