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Russia’s defence ministry said on Jan. 3 that a deadly Ukrainian missile strike on the Russian-occupied town of Makiivka in eastern Ukraine was caused by the mass illegal usage of mobile phones by Russian servicemen, Reuters reported.

Reported death toll of 89

Four Ukrainian missiles deployed from U.S.-manufactured HIMARS launchers reportedly hit a temporary Russian barracks in a building in Makiivka on Jan. 1 (local time).

Lieutenant General Sergei Sevryukov said that at least 89 Russian soldiers have died, AFP reported. 

Russia initially said that 63 servicemen were killed in the strike, which was the largest loss of life reported from their side in the war so far, according to an earlier report by AFP.

Ukraine’s military claimed responsibility for the strike and had put out a much higher figure for death toll, saying that around 400 Russian soldiers died, CNN reported. 

“Massive” use of mobile phones to blame

Although a commission has already been tasked to investigate what happened, Sevryukov said that the obvious reason for Russian forces coming under attack was "the turning on and massive use by personnel of mobile phones within reach of enemy weapons contrary to the ban".

This had caused the enemy to “track and determine the coordinates of the soldiers' location for a missile strike”, AFP reported Sevryukov as saying.

He added that those responsible would be punished, and reiterated that measures would be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Earlier in the war, a lethal airstrike was apparently conducted by Russia on a Ukrainian military base after phones used by British volunteer fighters were detected.

Many phone conservations between Russian soldiers and their loved ones have also been intercepted by the Ukrainian military, according to a report by The Guardian.

The report also said that many soldiers continue to use mobile phones on the frontlines even though they are unauthorised to do so, making them vulnerable to exposure and interception.

Mounting anger and grief

Russia and Ukraine continue to be embroiled in deadly warfare, with Russia regularly firing cruise missiles and conducting drone strikes on Ukrainian cities.

The statement from Russia’s defence ministry and the New Year’s day strike on Russian forces come amidst increasing anger among certain nationalistic Russian commenters on the Russian war effort.

They apparently view Russia’s campaign in Ukraine as half-hearted, and have largely directed their anger at military commanders rather than Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Reuters.

According to the BBC, some Russian commenters said that the troops in Makiivka should not have been housed in such an unprotected building which also stored munitions.

Mourners have also come together on Jan. 3 to grieve for the dead servicemen in some cities in the Volga region of Samara, the homeland of some Russian servicemen who died, in a rare show of grief and anger over Russian war deaths.

A gun salute was fired while some attendees held flags of the ruling United Russia party, AFP reported.

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Top images by picture alliance & Oleh Tiurkin via Getty images