Russian forces suffered one of the most devastating blows of the war when a Ukrainian HIMARS missile attack killed 65 soldiers who had been ordered into formation by a clumsy commander.
Heartbreaking images taken by horrified survivors showed how dozens of bodies were left strewn across a charred, pockmarked field after the attack.
Soldiers and officers died en masse, and more were wounded, because the top war commander, Major General Oleg Moiseev, 49, had ordered them to line up for an impromptu inspection.
Ukraine clearly had intelligence information about the meeting with the disciplinarian Moiseev, commander of the 29th Army of the Eastern Military District and hero of pro-Putin propagandists.
Russian sources report that the precise HIMARS attack occurred moments before the major general arrived on the scene, devastating his company and leaving dozens more injured.
Russia’s air force also suffered a setback today when Ukraine claimed to have shot down another Russian Su-34 fighter jet, according to Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk, the seventh enemy fighter jet in a week.
Heartbreaking images taken by horrified survivors show how dozens of bodies were left strewn across a charred, pockmarked field after the attack.
At least 65 Russian soldiers in training were killed
Dead soldiers are lined up as comrades prepare body bags.
Ukraine clearly had intelligence about the meeting with the disciplinarian Moiseev, commander of the 29th Army of the Eastern Military District and hero of pro-Putin propagandists.
Russian military war bloggers reacted with fury to the madness of Moiseev’s inspection of the 4th, 5th and 6th companies of the 36th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade in Trudivske, occupied Donetsk region.
One angry comment read: “One can only be surprised at the lack of learning of [commanders] in the second year of [the war].’
There was personal blame for Major General Moiseev, a commander with three orders of bravery who was the subject of a saccharine propaganda film by Putin’s favorite TV host, Vladimir Solovyov.
Another channel attacked: ‘He created this formation. He killed these men.
War reporter Andrey Rudenko lashed out at commanders like Moiseev for lining up their troops near the front line “simply to show their importance.”
He sarcastically posted: ‘There is a very high chance of taking a HIMARS MLRS rocket to what they call your head.
‘Therefore, take care of yourself and your subordinates!’
Prominent pro-Kremlin politician Vladimir Rogov criticized the “criminal practice” of parading soldiers in front of commanders on “missile-ridden terrain.”
Many of the dead troops were from the TransBaikal region of Siberia.
The authorities today tried to stop the spread of reports about the massacre suffered by soldiers.
Highly Mobile Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) are self-propelled launchers, equipped with a missile capsule that can fire a variety of different weapons.
They can fire six missiles in a row, allowing Ukraine to strike deep into Russian-controlled territory and spread the damage over a large blast radius.
War reporter Andrey Rudenko lashed out at commanders like Moiseev for lining up their troops near the front line “simply to show their importance.”
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu is seen briefing Putin about the Russian victory at Avdiivka.
HIMARS launchers can fire several different rockets.
The costly mistake came as Putin sought to bask in the glory of his troops’ small advance at Avdiivka, following a tactical retreat by the Ukrainian army.
The dictator told his Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu: ‘As for the general situation in Avdiivka, this is an absolute success.
‘Congratulations. “It is necessary to continue building.”
Shoigu boasted: “The operation for the liberation of Avdiivka will be included in textbooks and will be studied in all educational institutions of the country.” [Russian] Ministry of Defence.’
Seeking to impress, he also allegedly lied to Putin about the capture of another strategically important Ukrainian village, Krynki, in the Kherson region, which remains in Ukrainian hands according to military bloggers and war observers.
‘It’s really true… Krynki has been acquitted. [of Ukrainians]’ Shoigu told his boss.
The Russian Telegram channel Thirteenth reported: “How many more fantastic versions will be reported to the top? [Putin]?
‘This is not positive propaganda, it is an absolute lie [by Shoigu].’