Dozens of Russian soldiers ‘killed in devastating Ukrainian Himar strike’ after being ordered to wait two hours for general’s pep talk
Dozens of Russian soldiers were reportedly killed in a Ukrainian Himars rocket strike after they were ordered to wait two hours for a general to arrive to give them a pep talk.
Bloggers linked to the Russian military said the attack happened near the front line in Ukraine’s Luhansk region on Wednesday morning, the Telegraph reports.
It comes after confirmation that Ukraine has started its counter-offensive against invading Russian forces, which currently hold around 18% of the territory.
Rybar, a Russian military blogger, wrote: “Near Kremenna a tragic incident occurred in one of the divisions gathered there for an offensive.
“People stood in a crowd for two hours in one place and waited for the division commander to give his motivational speech.”
Russian soldiers were reportedly killed after waiting for a pep talk from their general (Pictured: A Russian soldier stands guard in occupied territory in Ukraine)
More than 100 soldiers may have been killed by Ukrainian forces (pictured) as they launched a counter-offensive in the area
They went on to describe how the crowd had been hit by “Ukrainian artillery and Himars” before the general arrived.
The town of Kreminna, spelled differently by the Russians, is currently under Russian control but is a target of strikes due to its location just 10 miles from the front line.
The number of casualties from the attack is unclear, although it is rumored to be significant, possibly even higher than the figure for the past few days of fighting along the entire southern front line.
Reports suggest more than 100 soldiers may have been killed in a single strike, according to the Telegraph.
Russian sources on Telegram blamed Major General Zurab Akhmedov, although the reasons for this remain unclear.
He is a controversial figure, having been accused last year of using Russian marines as “cannon fodder” by members of 155 Marine Infantry.
Either way, the attack on Russian troops could signify a major milestone for Ukraine as a sign that it has defeated Russian electronic warfare which had previously been used to jam their guidance systems.
The reports follow recent gains by Ukrainian forces, including the recapture of the village of Storozheve in the Donetsk region of the country.
A Ukrainian sapper inspects a damaged Russian self-propelled artillery vehicle installed as a symbol of war in central kyiv, Ukraine
Ukrainian servicemen from the 3rd Independent Iron Tank Brigade take a lunch break near the front line in the Kharkiv region on June 15, 2023
Photos from Storozheve, released this week, show bodies strewn in fields and on the side of the road, among burnt-out armored vehicles.
The grisly scenes bear witness to the ferocity of the fighting as Ukrainian troops recaptured Storozheve and several other villages in recent days as part of a counter-offensive in southern and eastern Ukraine.
The village had been occupied by Russian forces since March 2022, a month after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The soldiers said around 50 Russian soldiers were killed in a “mopping up operation” and four were taken prisoner.
“Three days ago we liberated the village of Storozheve. You can see for yourselves how it was done. You can see the destroyed material. Glory to Ukraine, a Ukrainian soldier who only gave his name as Artem said.
