News - Middle East: Russia says its armed forces have killed “over 600” Ukrainian servicemen in a “retaliatory strike” in eastern Ukraine, following the death of dozens of Russian troops in a missile attack in the Donetsk region earlier this month.

In a statement on Sunday, Russia's Defense Ministry said the Ukrainian forces were killed in a massive missile strike on two buildings temporarily housing Ukrainian forces in the eastern city of Kramatorsk.

The ministry said more than 1,300 Ukrainian troops were stationed in the two buildings which were used as barracks, adding that it had used “reliable intelligence” to target those forces. "As a result of a massive missile strike on these temporary deployment points of Ukrainian army units, more than 600 Ukrainian servicemen were destroyed."

The ministry said the strike was in retaliation for a Ukrainian attack on a school that was converted into military quarters in the Russian-controlled city of Makiivka in Donetsk on New Year's Day which left at least 89 Russia troops dead.