Incident in Makiivka highlights unprofessional practices of Russian army – British intelligence

“On 31 December 2022, Ukraine struck a school building in the Russian-held town of Makiyivka near Donetsk city, which Russia had almost certainly taken over for military use. The building was completely destroyed and, as the Russian MoD confirmed, 89 Russian personnel were killed,” UK’s Ministry of Defence posted on Twitter with reference to intelligence data.

As noted, given the extent of the damage, there is a realistic possibility that ammunition was being stored near to troop accommodation, which detonated during the strike creating secondary explosions.

The building was only 12.5km from the Avdiivka sector of front line, one of the most intensely contested areas of the conflict.

“The Russian military has a record of unsafe ammunition storage from well before the current war, but this incident highlights how unprofessional practices contribute to Russia’s high casualty rate,” the report reads.

As reported, the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed and damaged up to ten units of enemy military equipment in Makiivka, Donetsk region, on December 31. According to social media posts, the Russian military death toll reaches 600.

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