Dozens of Russian soldiers ‘killed in devastating Ukrainian Himars strike’ after being ordered to wait two hours for pep talk from general
Dozens of Russian soldiers have reportedly been killed in a Ukrainian Himars rocket strike after being ordered to wait for two hours for a general to arrive to give them a pep talk.
Bloggers connected to the Russian military said the attack occurred close to the front line in the Luhansk region of Ukraine on Wednesday morning, the Telegraph reports.
It comes after confirmation that Ukraine has began its counter-offensive against invading Russian forces, who currently hold around 18 percent of the territory.
Rybar, a Russian military blogger, posted: ‘Near Kremenna a tragic incident took place in one of the divisions mustered there for an offensive.
‘People stood in a crowd for two hours in one place and waited for the divisional 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 launch a counteroffensive in the region
They went on to describe how the crowd was hit by ‘Ukrainian Himars and artillery’ before the general arrived.
The town of Kreminna, spelt differently by Russians, is currently under Russian control but is a target for strikes due to its location just 10 miles from the front line.
The number of casualties in the strike is unclear, although it is rumoured to be significant, perhaps even higher than the figure for the last few days of fighting on the whole 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 have blamed Major General Zurab Akhmedov, although the reasons behind this remain unclear.
He is a controversial figure, having last year been accused of using Russian marines as ‘cannon fodder’ by members of the 155 Marine Infantry.
Regardless the attack on Russian troops could signify a major step for Ukraine as a sign it has overcome Russian electronic warfare which had previously been used to jam their guidance systems.
The reports follow recent gains by Ukrainian forces, including retaking 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 of the 3rd Independent Tank Iron Brigade take a lunch break at a position near the front line in Kharkiv region, on June 15, 2023
Pictures from Storozheve, liberated this week, show bodies scattered in fields and on the roadside, among burnt-out armoured vehicles.
The grisly scenes bear witness to the ferocity of fighting as Ukrainian troops recaptured Storozheve and several other villages in the past few days as part of a counteroffensive in southern and eastern Ukraine.
The village had been occupied by Russian forces since March 2022, one month after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The soldiers said about 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 achieved. You can see the destroyed hardware. Glory to Ukraine,’ a Ukrainian soldier who gave his name only as Artem said.
