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3 mins ago
Russian Defense Ministry says soldiers' use of cell phones was 'main cause' of deadly attack
By Josh Pennington, Karen Smith, and Philip Wang
The "mass use" of cell phones by military personnel was the "main cause" of the attack that killed dozens of Russian soldiers in eastern Ukraine on New Year's Day, Russia's Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
The ministry said the use of cell phones by military personnel led to the detection of the site of the apparent Ukrainian attack.
“A committee is currently working to investigate the circumstances of the incident.
But it is already clear that the main cause of the incident was the inclusion and massive use, contrary to the ban, of cell phones by military personnel within the range of enemy weapons systems," the ministry statement said.
"This factor allowed the enemy to track and determine the coordinates of the soldiers' locations for the missile attack."
Four rockets from US-made HIMARS launchers were used in the attack in Makiivka, Donetsk, killing a total of 89 servicemen, according to the ministry.
The Ukrainian military has claimed that around 400 Russian soldiers were killed in the attack.
CNN cannot independently verify any of the figures.
18 minutes ago
US-made HIMARS rockets were used in New Year's attack, Moscow says
By Josh Pennington and Mitchell McCluskey
Four rockets from US-made HIMARS launchers were used in the deadly New Year's Day attack on Russian troops in the occupied city of Makiivka, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
Two other HIMARS rockets were intercepted by manned air defense assets, the ministry said.
“Four rockets with high-explosive warheads hit a building where Russian military were stationed.
The detonation of the HIMARS missiles caused the roof of the building to collapse,” the ministry said.
HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) is an American-made multiple launch rocket launcher.
The attack took place just after midnight on Sunday at a vocational school housing Russian recruits in Makiivka in the Donetsk region, according to Ukrainian and pro-Russian accounts.
The Ukrainian military claimed that around 400 Russian soldiers were killed in the attack, while Russia's Defense Ministry has reported that 89 servicemen were killed.
28 minutes ago
Russia updates military death toll in New Year's Day attack
By Josh Pennington and Karen Smith
Workers remove rubble from a destroyed building in Makiivka on January 3.
(Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)
The Russian Defense Ministry said 89 servicemen were killed in the attack in eastern Ukraine that occurred on New Year's Day.
Among them was the regiment's deputy commander, Lt. Col. Bachurin, the ministry said in a statement.
The apparent Ukrainian attack took place shortly after midnight on Sunday at a vocational school housing Russian recruits in Makiivka in the Donetsk region, according to both Ukrainian and pro-Russian accounts.
On Monday, in a rare admission, the Russian Defense Ministry said 63 servicemen had been killed in Makiivka when Ukraine used HIMARS rockets to attack a building housing Russian soldiers.
The Russian Defense Ministry updated the death toll after more bodies were found under the rubble.
The Ukrainian military claimed some 400 Russian soldiers were killed and another 300 wounded, later saying the exact number was being "clarified."
In any event, it would represent one of the deadliest individual losses of the war for Moscow's forces.
war in ukraine
