- Four missiles with high explosive warhead strike forces.
- The attack was carried out on a temporary deployment.
- Ukrainian forces believe the death toll is much higher.
Moscow: 63 Russian soldiers were killed in the eastern region. Ukraine The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Monday that Kyiv forces attacked a camp using US-supplied Hammars rocket systems.
Without claiming an attack, the Ukrainian military said the death toll was much higher in the attack in the town of Makivka, in the Moscow-controlled part of the eastern region of Donetsk.
“As a result of an attack by four missiles with a high-explosive warhead on a temporary deployment site, 63 Russian soldiers were killed,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
“All necessary support and assistance will be provided to the families and loved ones of the deceased soldiers,” the defense ministry said.
The statement was a rare announcement of Russian losses in Ukraine.
The Defense Ministry did not say when the attack took place, but Ukrainian forces are believed to have carried out the attack as Russian troops were fleeing into the New Year.
It was the heaviest casualty on the Russian side in the ongoing conflict since President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops to attack on February 24 last year.
Critics of the Kremlin accuse Russian officials of downplaying Ukraine’s battlefield losses.
Former Russian separatist leader Igor Strelkov said he was notified of the strike around 1 a.m. on January 1 (2200 GMT on December 31).
“Hundreds” have been killed and wounded, he said, adding that the Ukrainian military attacked an installation that housed active troops.
Russian attacks on New Year
At least five people were killed in Russian attacks in different regions of Ukraine on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
gave Ukrainian capital On Monday, it again came under fire from Iranian-made drones, although Ukrainian forces claimed most were shot down by air defenses.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko reported an explosion in northeast Kyiv and said emergency services had been dispatched.
“An injured 19-year-old man was hospitalized in the capital’s Desnianskyi district,” he said.
Authorities later said he was hit by falling debris.
Following the strikes, power company Ukrainenergo said the power supply situation in Kyiv was now “more complicated”.
An adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said Russia’s New Year attacks – which targeted central areas of major cities – signaled a change in strategy.
“Russia no longer has military targets and is trying to kill as many civilians as possible and destroy more civilian facilities,” Mykhailo Podoliak tweeted. “Battle to kill.”