Makiivka strike: how the Russian death toll reached 89
A look back at the revised casualty figure Russia's defence ministry gave for the New Year strike on military quarters in Donetsk Oblast.
What did Russia's defence ministry say about the Makiivka strike by 5 January 2023? Two days earlier, on 3 January, it had raised the number of soldiers killed in the Ukrainian missile attack of 31 December to 89. The ministry attributed the casualties to the soldiers' use of mobile phones with tracking systems.
The strike hit military quarters in Makiivka, in Donetsk Oblast. According to later accounts, the attack came during the night of 31 December 2022 and 1 January 2023. It targeted the building of Professional Technical School No. 19 and was carried out with HIMARS rockets. The building was destroyed, along with military equipment nearby.
The figures differed sharply. Russian officials first confirmed that 63 troops had been killed, then raised that to 89. Ukrainian officials claimed the attack killed 400 Russian troops.
By 5 January 2023, then, the Russian ministry's published toll stood at 89, and its explanation centred on the soldiers' phones.
