Russia says retaliatory strike kills 600 Ukraine soldiers, but Kyiv denies claim
- Russian Defence Ministry said its missiles hit two temporary bases in Kramatorsk, but Ukraine rejected Russia’s claim of casualties
- Russia described the attack as a ‘retaliatory strike’ for Ukraine’s New Year’s Eve missile salvo that killed dozens of its troops
The Russian military claimed to have carried out deadly missile strikes on barracks used by Ukrainian troops in retaliation for the deaths of dozens of Russian soldiers in a rocket attack a week ago. Ukrainian officials denied there were any casualties.
The Russian Defence Ministry said its missiles hit two temporary bases housing 1,300 Ukrainian troops in Kramatorsk, in the eastern Donetsk region, killing 600 of them.
Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said the strikes were retaliation for Ukraine’s attack in Makiivka, in which at least 89 Russian soldiers died.
Serhii Cherevatyi, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s forces in the east, said that Russian strikes on Kramatorsk damaged only civilian infrastructure, adding: “The armed forces of Ukraine weren’t affected”.
The Donetsk regional administration said seven Russian missiles hit Kramatorsk and two more hit Kostyantynivka, without causing any casualties. It said an educational institution, an industrial facility and garages were damaged in Kramatorsk, and an industrial zone was hit in Kostyantynivka.
Kramatorsk Mayor Oleksandr Honcharenko said two school buildings and eight residential buildings were hit overnight. Photos he posted showed no indication that it had been an attack on the scale claimed by the Russians or that anyone had been in the buildings when they were struck.