That is according to a latest the U.K. Defense Ministry’s Defense Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine, The Guardian reports.
The case highlighted “the pervasive presence of disinformation in Russian public announcements”, the ministry said in its latest intelligence update.
Read more: 339 Days of russia-Ukraine War – russian Casualties In Ukraine
"This typically comes about through a combination of deliberate lying authorised by senior leaders, and the communication of inaccurate reports by more junior officials, keen to downplay their failings in Russia’s ‘blame and sack’ culture," the U.K. Defense Ministry’s Defense Intelligence update reads.
The ministry said that after the strike on Russian troop accommodation near Donetsk city on 1 January, Russia’s defense ministry took the “rare step” of publicly acknowledging it had suffered casualties, claiming 89 had been killed.
“Russian officials likely assessed that it was not viable to avoid comment in the face of widespread criticism of Russian commanders over the incident,” the UK ministry said.
Of the casualties, the ministry said it believed the majority were likely killed or missing, rather than wounded.
As Defense Express reported, StratCom of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated that 400 invaders eliminated in occupied Makievka, Donetsk Oblast.
Read more: Ukraine’s General Staff Operational Report: Ukraine’s Defense Forces Repelling Enemy Attacks, Eleminating Troops and Equipment While russians Try to Offense
