KIEV: Russia has said it will retaliate after an attack by Ukrainian troops in Makiivka, Donetsk, that killed 63 soldiers, and Kyiv has claimed responsibility for the attack. Moscow’s Defense Ministry said 63 Russian soldiers were killed in four missile attacks in Makivka. This is the highest casualty reported by the Russian Ministry of Defense in the conflict since the Russian occupation. The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defense system at Makiivka was damaged by the Ukrainian attack and repelled three rocket attacks. Officials said Ukraine had used US Himars rocket systems and that their target was a temporary deployment site, and up to 10 units of various military equipment were destroyed.
There are reports that Russia will launch severe attacks in the wake of the soldiers being killed. Russia has announced that there will be a retaliation. New reports suggest that Russia will send more troops to the war front.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities say that 400 Russian soldiers were killed and 300 wounded in Makiivka.
Former Russian separatist leader Igor Strelkov said Russian troops were stationed in an unsafe building and the building was completely destroyed. Moscow City Legislature Deputy Speaker Andrey Medvedev responded by saying it was dangerous and criminal to treat the enemy as a fool.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the military had shot down more than 80 Russian drones since Sunday.
The number will increase, he said. He said at least five people were killed and many wounded in Russian attacks across Ukraine on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. On Monday, Iranian-made drones were fired upon. Ukraine’s military says most of the missiles were shot down by air defenses.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko reported that there was an explosion in northeastern Kyiv. Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief General Valery Salushny said that the army had recaptured 40 percent of the territories occupied by Russia.
Meanwhile, Zelensky’s office announced that Ukraine and the European Union will hold a summit in Kiev on February 3 to discuss economic and military support.