Ukraine claimed a missile attack killed hundreds of Russians.

 

According to Ukraine, a missile attack on the seized Donetsk region resulted in the deaths of 400 or more Russian servicemen.

Russian officials denied the number, only acknowledging the deaths of 63 of its soldiers. Neither assertion has been proven.

A structure in Makiivka, where Russian forces were stationed, was the target of the attack.

The confirmation of losses on the battlefield by Moscow is incredibly uncommon.

However, due to the severity of the attack, according to the BBC's Russian editor Steve Rosenberg, remaining silent was most likely not an option.

According to a statement released by the Russian defense ministry on Monday, Ukrainian forces launched six rockets toward a structure housing Russian troops using the US-made Himars missile system. It said, "Two of them were shot down."

According to Daniil Bezsonov, a top Russian-backed official in the occupied portions of Donetsk, the missile hit Makiivka on New Year's Day two minutes after midnight.

Several Russian commentators and bloggers confirmed the attack, but claimed the numbers were lower than what Ukraine said. Access to Russian-controlled areas is restricted.

However, Igor Girkin, a pro-Russian analyst, claimed that hundreds had died and been injured, however the precise figure is still unknown due to the significant number of people who are still missing.

He claimed that the structure was "nearly totally destroyed."

He further said that rather than those who volunteered to fight, the victims were primarily mobilized troops, or recently enlisted soldiers. Additionally, he claimed that ammunition was kept in the same structure as the soldiers, worsening the damage.

He posted on Telegram that "almost all of the military equipment was also destroyed, which was right adjacent to the structure without any concealment anything."

Girkin, a well-known military blogger, was in charge of the rebels supported by Russia in 2014 when they took over significant portions of eastern Ukraine. For his role in the downing of flight MH17, he was recently found guilty of murder.

Despite being pro-Russian, he frequently critiques the leadership and strategies of the Russian military.

Along with the estimated 400 fatalities, 300 people were also injured, according to the Ukrainian military.

There is to be care because the Ukrainian army usually daily claims to have killed dozens, sometimes even hundreds, of soldiers during attacks. But if the allegations are true, this might rank among Ukraine's bloodiest attacks on Russian targets during the conflict.

In keeping with its long-standing policy of withholding information about its attacks, Ukraine has not verified the strikes were launched with Himars missiles.

It only stated sarcastically that "careless management of heating devices, lack of safety procedures, smoking in an unnamed place" were to blame for the deaths.

After Makiivka's strike, Kyiv came under fire. According to Oleksiy Kuleba, the regional governor of the Ukrainian capital, a drone and missile attack targeted vital infrastructure.

The wreckage from a downed Russian drone hurt one guy in Kyiv, the mayor of the city said.

Shahed drones produced in Iran, according to Mr. Kuleba, who added that they were "targeting important infrastructure facilities."

He advised them to maintain their composure and remain in shelters until the alert was turned off.

According to Ukrainian military reports, all 39 drones produced in Iran were ultimately shot down. The mayor of Kiev, Vitaly Klitschko, however, said that energy facilities had been destroyed, affecting the supply of heat and electricity.

Since several months ago, Russia has been attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure, destroying power plants and leaving millions in the dark during the bitterly cold winter.