1/5
Jan. 4 (UPI) — In the wake of a Ukrainian missile attack that killed possibly hundreds at Russian barracks recently, Russia on Wednesday unleashed scores of rockets on the cities of Kherson, Kramatorsk and Zaporizhzhia.
Russia launched 18 airstrikes, seven missile strikes, and more than 85 rocket attacks on the cities during a 24 hour period, Ukraine’s military staff said Wednesday.
Russian officials blamed cell phone use amongst its soldiers for the deadly New Years Eve strike that Ukrainian officials say killed hundreds of Russian servicemen at a military barracks in the occupied eastern city of Marivka.
“This factor allowed the enemy to track and determine the coordinates of the soldiers’ location for a missile strike,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement Wednesday.
The Russian government originally put the casualty figure at 63 but received criticism from pro-Kremlin military bloggers who claimed the true casualty figure was much higher. As of Wednesday, the official Russian death toll for the incident was revised to 89.
The British Ministry of Defense suggested ammunition stored near the barracks could have increased the deadly effect of the Ukrainian strike.
“Given the extent of the damage, there is a realistic possibility that ammunition was being stored near to troop accommodation, which detonated during the strike creating secondary explosions,” the ministry said in its daily intelligence briefing.
Also Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin participated in a ceremony via video link to mark the addition of Zircon hypersonic missiles for the naval frigate Admiral Gorshkov.
“I am sure that such powerful weapons will reliably protect Russia from potential external threats and will help ensure the national interests of our country,” Putin said.
Meanwhile, as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues, Kyiv’s state energy company says it wants an international peacekeeping force for the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, even in the absence of Russia’s approval.
