Russia says 89 killed in Makiivka, blames unauthorised use of mobile phones; nearly 500 Russian drones downed since September, says Ukraine
Russia’s defence ministry said on Wednesday that 89 servicemen were killed in the Ukrainian attack on Makiivka in the Moscow-controlled Donetsk region. It said the main reason for the attack was unauthorised use of mobile phones by troops. Russia previously said 63 of its soldiers were killed in the strike just after midnight on New Year’s Day.
The Ukrainian strike on Makiivka generated “significant criticism of Russian military leadership”, according to a report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Several prominent Russian pro-war bloggers and commentators acknowledged the attack, with many suggesting the number of casualties was higher than the figures officially reported.
The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces has said up to 10 units of Russian military equipment of various types in occupied Makiivka were damaged or destroyed. Ukraine rarely announces responsibility for attacks on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine, but its military reported the Makiivka attack as “a strike on Russian manpower and military equipment”.
Satellite images taken by the US-based company Planet Labs that purportedly show the aftermath of the strike on Makiivka have circulated online, showing the building that allegedly housed the Russian troops before and after it was hit. The images, dated 2 January, show a building almost completely razed. Unverified footage posted online of the aftermath of the blast also showed a huge building reduced to smoking rubble.
The UK’s prime minister, Rishi Sunak, reaffirmed support for Ukraine during a call with Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The two men discussed further defence cooperation, their statements said.
On national television in Ukraine, Yuriy Ignat, spokesperson for the Ukraine air force, said nearly 500 Russian drones have been downed since September.
It is unlikely Russia will achieve a significant breakthrough near Bakhmut in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region in the coming weeks, the UK Ministry of Defence has said. This is due in part to Russia likely conducting offensive operations in the area at only platoon or section level, it said.
The French prime minister, Élisabeth Borne, has said she is more confident over the situation of French energy supplies for the next few weeks. She cited lower consumption and an increase in nuclear power output.
Nato countries will discuss their defence spending targets in the coming months as some of them call for turning a 2% target into a minimum figure, the Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, told the German news agency DPA.
Ukraine and the EU will hold a summit in Kyiv on 3 February to discuss financial and military support, Zelenskiy’s office has said.
