Russian officials have come under fire for their explanation of a deadly attack on Russian-occupied Makiivka in eastern Ukraine. The attack, which occurred on Wednesday, resulted in the death of 89 Russian soldiers, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
However, some influential pro-military voices in Russia, as well as officials in Kyiv, have suggested that the death toll may have been much higher. Semyon Pegov, a war correspondent who was recently awarded an Order of Courage by Russian President Vladimir Putin, cast doubt on the official explanation for the attack.
In a Telegram post on Wednesday, Pegov said that the death toll in Makiivka was likely far greater than the 89 now officially acknowledged by Russia. He also criticized the Russian Ministry of Defense’s explanation of how dozens of soldiers were targeted in eastern Ukraine, calling the official story “not convincing” and “a blatant attempt to smear blame.”
The defense ministry’s public stance appeared to do little to quell the criticism from nationalist bloggers and pro-war voices within the country. Pegov said, “The story of ‘mobiles’ is not very convincing.” He added, “I rarely say this — but this is the case when it would probably be better to remain silent, at least until the end.”
The strike is one of the deadliest attacks on Moscow’s forces since the war began 10 months ago. The Russian Ministry of Defense has yet to provide further information regarding the attack and the death toll.
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