MoscowAt least 89 Russian soldiers were killed in a missile attack on New Year’s Day (January 1) in Ukraine’s occupied Donetsk region. Russia has claimed that the attack, which took place at a vocational college in Makiivka, was caused by the use of mobile phones by soldiers. In a statement, the Russian military said the “massive use” of mobile phones by troops in Ukrainian weapons range allowed the enemy to “detect and determine the coordinates of military personnel’s location for a missile attack”. Six rockets were fired from the US-made HIMERS rocket system at around 12:01 am, of which two rockets were shot down.
‘Mobile phones allowed enemies to determine location of soldiers’
The regiment’s deputy commander, Lieutenant Colonel Bachurin, was among those killed in the attack. In response to the tragedy, a commission has been formed to investigate the circumstances of the incident and determine any wrongdoing. Officials found guilty will be held accountable for their actions. The army has also said that measures are being taken to prevent such incidents from happening in future.
Russia-Ukraine war continues
This is the largest number of deaths acknowledged by Russia since the start of the war on February 24, 2022. The use of mobile phones by soldiers has long been a controversial issue, leading many military organizations to ban their use in active combat zones. the potential security risk they pose. It is unclear at this time whether the soldiers in this particular incident were specifically targeted because of their mobile phone use, or if this was simply a factor that contributed to their vulnerability.
The attack has been condemned by world leaders, with many calling for an end to the conflict and a return to peace talks. The ongoing war in Ukraine has caused significant loss of life and suffering for both soldiers and civilians, and it is imperative that efforts are made to end the violence as soon as possible.
(with agency inputs)