Mourners voiced grief and anger on Tuesday at a rare public commemoration in Russia for the scores of soldiers killed by a Ukrainian strike on New Year’s Eve.

Admitting its worst ever military losses from a single Ukrainian attack, Russia on Monday said 63 servicemen were killed when a temporary deployment point was struck in Makiivka, a town in the eastern region of Donetsk partially held by separatists since 2014.

Ukraine has taken responsibility for the strike and says the toll could be much higher. Russian bloggers say that many of the victims were reservists who were recently mobilised into the army.

Some 200 people laid roses and wreaths in a central square in the city of Samara — where some of the servicemen came from — as an Orthodox priest recited a prayer.

Soldiers also fired a gun salute at the commemoration, where some of the mourners could be seen holding flags for the ruling United Russia party.

“It’s very tough, it’s scary. But we cannot be broken. Grief unites,” Ekaterina Kolotovkina, head of a group of army spouses, said at the ceremony.

Similar gatherings were reported in other cities of the Samara region including Tolyatti, home to Russia’s largest carmaker AvtoVAZ.

The deaths immediately sparked heavy criticism in Russia of the army’s senior command, including from nationalist commentators favourable to Russia’s military intervention.

Russian military correspondents, who have gained influence in recent months, said hundreds could have been killed and accused Russia’s top commanders of incompetence.
Samara (Russia) (AFP), 3 Jan, 2022