In a new chapter on the Russian military's blatant disregard for its own troops, Moscow is blaming the disastrously successful attack on their military barracks and nearby ammunition depot in Makiiva, Donetsk, on unauthorized cellphone use. The New Year's Eve attack by Ukrainian HIMARS missiles killed hundreds of Russian conscripts and destroyed a large ammunition depot which was located adjacent, a boneheaded move by Russian military officers in command that's typical of their incompetence outside of terrorizing civilians.
Putin's military is blaming their own troops and leadership for the disaster, saying troops calling home en masse on New Year's Eve alerted Ukrainian signal intelligence to their location. Russian troops are also known for calling home and complaining about Putin's war and their miserable conditions, so severely restricting cellphone use by them will silence their protests about the war to their families back home. That will be a sure morale booster.
(photo: HIMARS launching missiles. Hannibal Hanschke / European Pressphoto Agency)
