A hundred of Vladimir Putin’s recruits mobilized just months ago were killed on New Year’s Eve in the barracks they were stationed in, which was a vocational school in the occupied city of Makiivka, in the Donetsk region. Next door was a large ammunition depot.
The troops used their smartphones to make calls home because they missed their wives and families. The school was suddenly struck by HIMARS rockets, satellite-guided precision weaponry that the United States had given to Ukraine, nearly destroying it and burning the ammo stash.
This happened according to Russia. However, Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, this may be considered the worst-known attack against Russian soldiers by Ukraine. The usage of telephones “contrary to the rule,” according to the Défense Ministry, was the attack’s “primary cause,” which it blamed on the soldiers themselves. Since their signals might be geolocated to target and kill other Russian forces, Russian soldiers are not allowed to use personal cell phones in the field.
However, this justification and the newly revealed information about the attack have sparked a very public national blame game among Russians.
The Russian Defense Ministry first reported 63 soldiers dead before raising that figure to 89. According to Ukraine, there were about 400. However, even Russian pro-war bloggers, who are becoming a more significant source of information for Russian citizens about what is occurring in Ukraine, rejected the official tally, estimating that hundreds of soldiers had perished. The precise figure is yet unknown.
Blogger “Grey Zone” referred to the mobile phone explanation as a “99% lie” and an effort to avoid taking responsibility. It was more likely an intelligence failure, he claimed.
The question of who had given the order for so many troops to be temporarily quartered in one exposed structure was raised by Russian MPs, who demanded an inquiry. A well-known politician and party leader named Sergey Mironov stated that any officers or other military members who made such a choice should face “personal criminal liability.” He also cautioned, “It’s time to realize it won’t be the same as it used to be,” meaning that the military had a relaxed approach to the conflict.
“This is a battle for the future of Russia,” Mironov said. “We must win it!”
Mironov’s remarks caused controversy. Hardliners like him believe that Putin’s “partial mobilization” of reservists in September, which involved calling up 300,000 men, was insufficient. They desire a massive mobilization that would prepare the entire nation for war. And they want Ukraine to pay for it.
The Kremlin is taking the attack in Makiivka extremely seriously, as evidenced by the Defense Ministry’s statement that a sizable number of mobilized troops were killed in the attack and by the open discussion among military bloggers.
Nobody has openly accused Putin of anything, but up until now, blame has exclusively been directed at military commanders. President Putin has not responded to the Makiivka attack on the media, which is a clear sign that he wants to stay as far away from the crisis as he can.
