On the 4th of January, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the attack in Makiivka was caused by the unauthorized use of soldiers’ phones, writes Reuters.
Official information shows that 89 Russian soldiers were killed in the strike carried out by Ukraine, which is more than initially reported. The rocket strike destroyed the temporary barracks that had been built in Makiivka for the conscripts.
An official investigation has been launched into the incident, but Moscow already states that the main reason was the unauthorized use of cell phones among the recruits. The announcement of the Russian Ministry of Defense published just after midnight on the 4th of January states that the use of cell phones allowed the Ukrainian forces to track the location of Russian soldiers.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned in his address on the evening of the 3rd of January that Russia is preparing for another massive attack.
«We have no doubt that current masters of Russia will throw everything they have left and everyone they can round up to try to turn the tide of the war and at least delay their defeat,»
Zelensky said. He added that Ukraine should be ready for it and disrupt this plan. Zelensky also reinstated the Ukrainian estimates that Moscow is planning a full-scale mobilization. Russian officials have indicated that such a step is not being considered.
Although the Ukrainian army said it carried out a strike near Makiivka, which destroyed equipment and possibly personnel, it did not disclose further details.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valery Zaluzhny, informed that the situation on the front line near the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut is particularly harsh. General Zaluzhny contacted US General Mark Milley on the 3rd of January. Zaluzhny expressed gratitude to the US for the support, which is especially important to protect Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
On the 4th of January, Putin plans to communicate with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Turkey has been acting as a mediator since the start of the war, and last year helped negotiate the export of grain from Ukrainian ports. However, serious peace talks do not seem possible in the near future, especially given that intense hostilities continue.
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