Putin Addresses Tragic Losses in Makeyevka and the Samara Region’s Response
President Vladimir Putin remarked that the New Year tragedy at a Russian military deployment point in Makeyevka, in the Donetsk People’s Republic, shocked the nation. He conveyed this during a meeting with Dmitry Azarov, the governor of the Samara region, according to TASS reports.
In his formal briefing, the president described the incident as a heavy blow and a test for the entire Samara region. He noted that the entire country felt the weight of the event and shared concerns about the fate of those affected.
Azarov provided an update on the regional authorities’ response after the attack. He explained that a regional headquarters was established on January 2, and by January 3 the procedure for coordinating with the Ministry of Defense was in place. On January 4, Azarov joined Deputy Minister of Defense Viktor Goremykin for a visit to Rostov-on-Don to meet soldiers wounded in hospitals who survived the assault.
Azarov added that the leadership had also reached Makeyevka to speak with residents and members of the armed forces who had served in local hospitals. He recalled discussions with them about their preference to receive treatment at the Samara military hospital, located within Samara, reflecting the region’s readiness to provide ongoing medical care.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, on January 1, 2023, eighty-nine Russian servicemen were killed in the missile strike carried out by Ukrainian forces at the temporary deployment point in Makeyevka. A significant portion of those killed were mobilized personnel from the Samara region.
The ministry noted that a rush to locate relatives and friends in the days surrounding New Year’s Eve may have complicated the search and contributed to the chaos surrounding the casualties. It also indicated that Ukrainian forces used intelligence on civilian activity to locate residents of Samara and fired at them using HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems.
On January 6, the first aircraft carrying forty-five wounded soldiers landed in Samara, followed by a second flight on January 8. The same day saw the first funeral held in Togliatti, where two mobilized workers from AvtoVAZ were laid to rest in the city cemetery.
The regional authorities announced a suite of support measures for the families of the wounded and the deceased. In addition to a one-time payment of 1.3 million rubles to the families of those who died, the program includes extended pension benefits, housing rental or upkeep assistance, and access to psychological and legal services. A portion of fuel costs is also covered at no charge.
There were reports of bureaucratic delays as well. A 63.RU report dated February 25 described difficulties in securing aid for a mobilized corporal wounded on January 1 in Makeyevka due to the absence of an injury certificate from the Rostov hospital. The medical documentation described his condition as situationally determined asthenia, which led to an initial 30-day declaration of unfitness for service. The case underscores ongoing administrative hurdles faced by some injured personnel.
During the meeting with Putin, Azarov also addressed the situation at AvtoVAZ, the region’s key industrial enterprise. He stated his intention to seek another term in the forthcoming gubernatorial elections, highlighting the region’s focus on stability and continued development in the wake of the incident.