Russia concedes 63 of its soldiers died in New Year’s Day strike; protracted campaign of Iranian drones designed to ‘exhaust’ Ukraine
At a glance: what we know on day 314 of the invasion
The Ukrainian strike on a Russian base in Makiivka, Donetsk, has generated “significant criticism of Russian military leadership” according to a recent report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
In its latest update, the US thinktank said:
Russian MoD is likely attempting to deflect the blame for its poor operational security (OPSEC) onto Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) officials and mobilised forces, but its vague acknowledgment of the strike nonetheless generated criticism towards the Russian military command.
Such profound military failures will continue to complicate Putin’s efforts to appease the Russian pro-war community and retain the dominant narrative in the domestic information space.”
Who came up with the idea to place personnel in large numbers in one building, where even a fool understands that even if they hit with artillery, there will be many wounded or dead?” he wrote. Commanders “couldn’t care less” about ammunition stored in disarray on the battlefield, he said. “Each mistake has a name.”
Housing personnel in buildings instead of housing them in shelters directly aids the enemy. From the situation in Makiivka it is necessary to draw the toughest conclusions,” wrote Andrey Medvedev, an ultra-conservative journalist who is deputy chairman of Moscow’s city parliament.