MOSCOW, Jan 8 — Russia’s defence ministry said today it had had killed more than 600 Ukrainian servicemen in a massive rocket strike on buildings in eastern Ukraine temporarily housing Ukrainian forces.

It said the strike on Kramatorsk was revenge for Ukraine’s deadly attack earlier this year on a Russian barracks in Makiivka in part of the Donetsk region controlled by Moscow’s forces.

Reuters could not immediately verify the defence ministry’s assertion. — Reuters