In Makeyevka, casualties among Russian service members have grown, with the count reaching ninety as assessments continue. The numbers were provided by Lieutenant General Sergei Sevryukov, the first deputy head of the Main Military-Political Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces, and carried by state media. In the immediate aftermath, surviving officers and soldiers from nearby units moved quickly to assist those affected. First aid was administered on the scene, and the injured were evacuated to medical facilities for further care. Despite concerted lifesaving efforts, the tally of those who perished as rescuers worked through the wreckage continued to rise as evaluators carried out thorough checks of the debris. A commission was formed in Makeyevka to investigate the disaster, with the families of the fallen receiving support and the military political body of the Ministry of Defense signaling that future measures would be put in place to prevent a recurrence. Sevryukov emphasized that those responsible would be held accountable once the inquiry concludes.
On January 1 at 00:01 Moscow time, Ukrainian forces fired several American HIMARS shells at a temporary Russian deployment site in Makeyevka, within the Donetsk People’s Republic. Dozens of service members were gathered inside a vocational school building adjacent to a small arms and ammunition depot. The Ministry of Defense stated that air defense systems intercepted four missiles, but two shells with high-explosive fragmentation charges struck the building where soldiers were stationed. The resulting explosion collapsed the structure, burying many wounded and dead beneath the rubble. Officials described the event as a devastating strike on a high concentration of personnel.
Among those killed was the regiment’s deputy commander, Lieutenant Colonel Bachurin. Dmitry Azarov, the governor of the Samara region, confirmed that a mobilized resident from that region died in the Makeyevka attack. Azarov noted that after the strike, both enlisted personnel and officers aided wounded colleagues, often under hostile fire, to bring them to safety.
Lieutenant General Sergei Sevryukov, representing the Main Military-Political Directorate, attributed the setback in Makeyevka largely to the use of personal mobile phones by personnel within range of enemy weapons. The claim is that access to devices allowed the adversary to identify and relay the coordinates of the military position for the missile strike. Steps are now being put in place to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Denis Pushilin, acting head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, stated that some of the dead rushed to rescue injured colleagues after the initial strike. He described how many survivors returned to pull wounded comrades from the damaged building, sometimes under ongoing danger. Emergency services arrived later and helped complete the rescue, with some soldiers exposing themselves to considerable risk. Pushilin added that some of the fallen were among those who had gone back to assist their teammates.
The Russian Ministry of Defense also claimed that the Russian forces destroyed the HIMARS launcher used in the Makeyevka attack through retaliatory fire. It was further stated that four additional American missile systems were destroyed and that a large number of Ukrainian nationalists and foreign mercenaries had been eliminated. On January 2, the Ministry of Defense reported a total of sixty-three fatalities from the Makeyevka vocational school incident.
Official Russian channels emphasize the high casualty toll and highlight ongoing efforts to determine responsibility, reinforce defensive measures, and ensure better prevention of similar events in the future. Available descriptions reflect ongoing updates as the inquiry proceeds, with authorities stressing accountability and enhanced protections for service members in hazardous environments. The broader context involves heightened activity along the line of contact and a continuing discussion about battlefield tactics, logistics, and safety for deployed personnel. The situation remains fluid, with authorities underscoring the need for accountability and improved protections for those serving on high-threat fronts.