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Both Russia and Ukraine have indicated in recent hours that thousands of soldiers from the opposing side have lost their lives in the battle that is centered around the strategic city of Bakhmut, located in the Donbass region. kyiv seeks to buy time and reinforcements to launch its counteroffensive while Moscow maintains the siege.
Thousands of soldiers from both the Russian and Ukrainian sides have been killed in the battle for the strategic city of Bakhmut, the enemy sides say. From Kiev, President Volodimir Zelenski indicated this Sunday, March 12, that more than 1,100 Russian soldiers have lost their lives in the last week at this central point of the fighting in eastern Ukraine.
The president also indicated that in the midst of the attacks, some 1,500 Russian soldiers suffered serious injuries, which put them out of action. At the same time, he pointed out that dozens of Russian equipment and more than ten ammunition depots were destroyed.
The figure comes after Ukrainian authorities reported on Saturday that more than 500 Russian soldiers had been killed or wounded in 24 hours as they fought for control of Bakhmut.
In turn, the Russian Defense Ministry said that its troops were intensifying their military operations in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, (Donbass), leaving at least 220 Ukrainian soldiers dead in 24 hours.
The Wagner paramilitary group, which is fighting on the side of the Russian army, has captured most of the territory to the east of the city and the surrounding areas to the north and south, but has not been able to encircle the city which, according to Moscow, would be a key step. towards the capture of the industrial region of Donbass.
Ukraine seeks to buy time to launch its counteroffensive in Bakhmut
Ukraine is preparing to launch its counter-offensive in the region and according to top military commanders, it is expected to start soon.
This is what the commander of the Ukrainian Land Forces, Oleksandre Syrsky, stated, noting that “the real heroes are the defenders who hold the Eastern front on their backs.” The official added that “it is necessary to buy time to accumulate reserves and launch a counteroffensive that is not far off.”
For his part, the Ukrainian Interior Minister, Ihor Klymenko, indicated in a statement that around 28,000 Ukrainian volunteers have asked to be part of the new assault brigades that Kiev is training for its counteroffensive.
The text states that the applicants are mostly police officers and other professionals seeking to serve in different combat missions. However, not all the people who have submitted the application will be approved to integrate these battalions, which are known as ‘Attack Guard’ and which will be in charge of the Ministry of the Interior.
In the document, the authorities explain that these units for the counteroffensive are “practically formed”, while adding that the recruitment of volunteers “continues so that these units have reserve personnel.”
According to the Ministry, the formation of the brigades takes between two and four months before they are deployed to the front, where their presence is essential to reinforce and relieve the burden of the soldiers who have been fighting for months.
No significant progress from Russia, says the Institute for the Study of War
On Sunday, through the Telegram social network, the founder of the Wagner paramilitary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, admitted that the situation in Bakhmut is “difficult, very difficult, with the enemy fighting at every meter.”
Despite the siege in recent weeks, the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War noted in a report that Moscow’s Wagner-backed military campaign appears to have stalled despite continued ground bombardments near the city.
The text was released on Saturday and included the testimony of the spokesman for the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Serhii Cherevaty, who assured that in the last 24 hours there have been 23 clashes in the area, while confirming that the more intense fighting occurred during the week that ended.
For its part, the UK Ministry of Defense indicated that, according to its intelligence analysis, Wagner’s units seized most of eastern Bakhmut, however, it stressed that the Russian attack will be difficult to sustain.
With Reuters, EFE and AP
