More than 400 Russian soldiers have been killed in a Ukrainian rocket attack on the town of Makiivka in the Donetsk region, according to the Ukrainian military. The rumors are contradicted by the Russians – who speak of ‘only’ 63 dead. Colonel and associate professor of military strategy Han Bouwmeester of the Netherlands Defense Academy has difficulty interpreting it.
Cite military bloggers there. “It’s very difficult to estimate the situation,” says Bouwmeester. “Sometimes they say the truth is the first casualty of war, and I think both sides’ stories aren’t quite right, and the truth lies somewhere in between.”
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Ukrainian troops allegedly shelled the Russian-occupied city with several dozen HIMARS long-range missiles. “They targeted a former school building, where several Russian soldiers were stationed,” Bouwmeester continues. “But that old school building probably served as an ammunition depot, and because it was also hit, that huge explosion took place.”
It’s not the first time
It’s not the first time that Ukrainian troops have dealt such a blow to the Russians, Bouwmeester knows. “In May, something similar happened to the pontoon bridge the Russians wanted to build in Bilahorivka, which was blown up, resulting in more than 400 Russian casualties.”
Bouwmeester therefore believes it has an impact on Russian troops. “On the ground itself, the battle is pretty deadlocked,” he continues. The head of the Ukrainian military intelligence service also stated this. General Budanov also claimed to be short on men and resources, but so were the Russians. So you see that on the ground a small territorial gain follows, so both countries are looking for opportunities to hurt each other in other ways.’
Source: BNR
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