Ukraine claims it has killed or wounded at least 500 more Russian troops in ... trends now
Ukraine has killed or wounded at least 500 Russian troops in two devastating strikes in Kherson, its military has claimed.
The major attack on a farm in Chulakivka was claimed by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, adding to the scores killed in Makiivka, in Donetsk region, on 31 December.
In another new strike, Ukraine is believed to have hit a recreational facility called Grand Prix used by Russian military occupiers, including GRU military intelligence special forces.
Moscow has so far admitted to 63 deaths at its Makiivka barracks but Russian sources have indicated the toll is higher.
Ukraine is believed to have hit a recreational facility called Grand Prix used by Russian military occupiers (pictured)
The scale of any losses here is not yet clear.
Russian pro-war channels have accused a Moscow volunteer Petr Lozhkovoy of openly posting pictures of the base, which they claim resulted in a Ukrainian HIMARS missile attack.
The 10th Separate Guards Special Purpose Brigade of the Russian GRU are known to have stayed here.
The attack at Chulakivka - with hundreds of suspected casualties - was at a farm, say some reports.
At Makiivka, DNA evidence is being used by the Russians to identify those killed in the strike, which happened at a vocational school being used as a barracks for mobilised men at the very moment Vladimir Putin's New Year message was being broadcast.
The site was used by Russian military occupiers, including GRU military intelligence special forces
Russian pro-war channels have accused a Moscow volunteer Petr Lozhkovoy of openly posting pictures of the base
The 10th Separate Guards Special Purpose Brigade of the Russian GRU are known to have stayed here
Human remains are still being pulled from under the rubble of the 31 December attack and the number of official victims is expected to rise.
Ukrainian sources have speculated that there were 400 deaths of mobilised men.
An unofficial Russian toll today said 312 had died and 157 were wounded.
It was one of the deadliest attacks on the Kremlin's forces since the war began more than 10 months ago.
In the attack, Ukrainian forces fired six rockets from a HIMARS launch system and two of them were shot down, a Russian Defense Ministry statement said.
WarGonzo channel said today that National Guard SOBR special forces were among the dead.
It is now clear that many victims were from Samara region, rather than Saratov, as stated yesterday.
Among the cities in mourning were Tolyatti, Novokuibyshevsk and Syzran, as well as capital Samara.
Governor of Samara region Dmitry Azarov - a Putin appointee - confirmed: 'Our fellow countrymen were under the attack of enemy forces.
'There are wounded, alas, there are dead.
This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows the before and after scene at Makiivka
