Home › Security › Russia raises Makiivka death toll to 89
Russia raises Makiivka death toll to 89
Summary
A retrospective on the Russian defence ministry's revised casualty figure after the New Year strike on soldiers' quarters in Donetsk Oblast.
How many Russian soldiers died in the strike on Makiivka? On 3 January 2023, the Russian defence ministry gave a new answer: 89, up from an earlier official figure.
The ministry's figure concerned a Ukrainian missile attack on 31 December 2022 in Makiivka, Donetsk Oblast. As reported at the time, the ministry attributed the casualties to the soldiers' use of mobile phones with tracking systems.
What the strike hit
The attack struck the building of Professional Technical School (PTU) No. 19, which housed troops. It was carried out with HIMARS rockets and destroyed the building and nearby military equipment.
Competing figures
Russian officials had first confirmed 63 dead, and the revision to 89 came two days after that initial figure. Ukrainian officials claimed the attack killed 400 Russian troops, a number far above anything the Russian ministry acknowledged.
The ministry's explanation centred on phones, not on any other factor. Its revised count stood at 89 as of 3 January 2023.
