War against Ukraine: Russians criticize their own military leadership

Status: 03.01.2023 3:43 p.m

Russian politicians, war reporters and bloggers have criticized the country’s military leadership after the Kremlin admitted the deaths of 63 Russian soldiers in Makiivka. They requested an internal investigation.

The death of many Russian soldiers in a Ukrainian attack in Makiivka in eastern Ukraine has sparked criticism in Russia of its own military leadership. “Ten months after the start of the war, it is dangerous and criminal to look at the enemy as a fool who can’t see,” said Andrei Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Moscow city parliament.

Senator and former Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin called for an internal investigation. Deputy Sergey Mironov has demanded that officers who ordered the placement of soldiers in an unprotected building be held accountable.

“Didn’t learn from previous mistakes”

Criticism of one’s own military leadership is extremely rare in Russia. But several Russian war reporters also accused high-ranking military commanders of not having learned from previous mistakes. In online networks, some users also accused the Russian authorities of downplaying the number of deaths.

Sharp criticism also came from military bloggers. Former Russian commander Igor Girkin, one of the most influential bloggers, criticized the fact that ammunition was stored next to the building where the soldiers died – even though it was within range of Ukrainian missiles.

Ukraine announces further attacks against Russian occupiers

Marius Reichert, WDR, daily news at 2:00 p.m., January 3, 2023

Ukraine speaks of almost 400 dead

The Kremlin admitted the deaths of 63 soldiers in Makiivka after the Ukrainian attack on Monday. In an initial reaction, the Ukrainian army even spoke of almost 400 dead. In any case, it is the highest number of Russian soldiers killed in a single attack that Moscow has announced since it began invading Ukraine in February last year. The Kremlin rarely comments on its own losses in Ukraine.

According to the Defense Ministry in Moscow, four rockets with high-explosive warheads hit a “temporary base” of the Russian army in Makiivka, and two others were shot down. According to Russian war reporters, the soldiers were stationed at a vocational school.

Former pro-Russian separatist leader in eastern Ukraine Igor Strelkov said the soldiers were stationed in an unprotected building. This was “almost completely” destroyed because ammunition stored there detonated during the attack.

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