Hundreds of Russian soldiers are said to have been killed in a Ukrainian bombardment on Makiivka in the Donetsk region. An alleged survivor now puts it down to a speech by Vladimir Putin.
Munich/Donetsk – New Year’s Eve. New Year. You celebrate together. on the phone. Text or WhatsApp to wish the best for the next 12 months. Was that exactly the fate of many Russian soldiers in the Ukraine war? At least that’s what Moscow claims.
Ukraine War: Russia confirms high losses at Makiivka in Donbass
A flashback: On New Year’s Eve up to 400 Russian soldiers, allegedly mostly new recruits, are killed by a concentrated Ukrainian bombardment on a military base in Makiivka on the outskirts of the city of Donetsk. This is what Kyiv reported. For its part, Russia confirmed the greatest losses to date after the attack on Ukraine, speaking first of 63 dead soldiers, then of 89.
But: The Kremlin blamed its own soldiers for the immense military setback. It was said from Moscow that the men drew the fire on themselves because they had been on the phone in rows on New Year’s Day. The Ukrainian army registered this and was able to use its rockets in a targeted manner.
In the video: Compact – The most important news about the Russia-Ukraine war
After a number of military defeats and high losses on the Ukraine front, not everyone in Russia believes this version. According to picture wrote the Kremlin-affiliated blogger Vladlen Tatarsky (522,000 subscribers to Telegram): “The generals tell us about mobile phones and each time demonstrate their own stupidity and lack of understanding of what happens in the army, where EVERYONE has a phone.”
Russia’s losses at Makiivka: Who is to blame?
Allegations were circulated that there was an ammunition depot next to the accommodation, which would have increased the explosions. This was subsequently neither denied nor confirmed publicly from Moscow. Should the Russian military leadership be accused of negligently gathering too many soldiers in too small a space? This theory was allegedly confirmed by a soldier who is said to have been there in Makiivka.
So published the oppositional Belarusian portal Nexta on Twitter a video that is supposed to show an apparently seriously wounded soldier named Anton Golowinsky. He therefore came from Samara. In the video, the man reports that the soldiers allegedly gathered in the building because of a speech by Moscow ruler Vladimir Putin.
On New Year’s Eve we were gathered in the assembly hall to listen to Putin’s speech. We asked not to do that. All the locals knew about it, everyone knew it.
“At the end of December we were taken to Makiivka. We stayed in a building of the technical university. We asked to be housed separately and not all together,” the suspected soldier said loudly Nexta: “On New Year’s Eve we were gathered in the assembly hall to listen to Putin’s speech. We asked not to do that. All the locals knew about it, everyone knew.”
Because of Vladimir Putin’s speech? Makiivka bombing raises questions
They were told “that we had to follow the colonel’s orders. A penalty order. The colonel’s name is Roman Enikeyev. Almost all of our men died because of him,” Golowinsky claimed. He said in the video sequence, so the translation at picture, continued: “It is a miracle that I am still alive. All commanders only thought of going home as quickly as possible, which was the quickest way to get out. They left us there on purpose. They gathered us all in one place. Under no circumstances should this be done. How I survived is a miracle.”
The allegations could not be verified independently.
According to the report, he is said to have died in a hospital in Rostov, not far from the Ukrainian border. Were hundreds more men killed for listening to a Putin speech together? Makiivka’s losses worry loudly picture at least further for heated discussions among Russian military bloggers and their followers. In Samara. In Rostov. And in Moscow. (pm)
#Putin #speech #death #sentence #Russian #soldier #raises #allegations