Russias Defense Ministry Says Mass Use Of Mobile Phones Caused Tragedy In Makiivka

The main reason behind the death of Russian soldiers in Ukraine's missile strike near the city of Makiivka in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) was the mass use of mobile phones by the military personnel, traced by Ukrainian troops, the first deputy head of the Russian Armed Forces' Main Military-Political Directorate, Lt. Gen. Sergey Sevryukov, said on Wednesday.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday that Ukrainian troops had fired six HIMARS rockets on the temporary deployment facility of the Russian troops in the city of Makiivka in the DPR, killing at least 63 Russian military personnel.

Sevryukov said on Wednesday that the death toll has risen to 89.

"A commission is currently working to investigate the circumstances of the incident. However, it is already clear that the main cause of the incident was the turning on and mass use of cell phones by personnel in the range of enemy weapons despite the ban," Sevryukov said.

He added that the enemy managed to trace the phones' signals and locate the soldiers' coordinates for rocket strikes.

"At the moment, all necessary measures are being taken to prevent similar tragic accidents in the future. Based on the investigation's results, the responsible officials will be held accountable," Sevryukov said.