List of 68 Russian servicemen killed in Donetsk missile strike verified by IStories

A leaked list of 68 Russian military personnel who died in a Ukrainian missile attack on a training ground they were using in the centre of the Donetsk region on Tuesday has been verified as authentic by independent media outlet IStories.

The list of 66 Russian servicemen, which was published in Telegram groups for Russian military personnel, was confirmed to be authentic by a member of the 36th Motorised Rifle Brigade who spoke to IStories.

Journalists at IStories cross referenced the names on the list with social media profiles. Many of those on the list last used their accounts on Tuesday, the day of the missile strike.

The troops had been lined up for the arrival of a senior commander on a training ground near the village of Trudivske, halfway between regional capital Donetsk and the port city of Mariupol, when the missile struck.