Russian forces fighting for control of a besieged city in eastern Ukraine have likely suffered some of their worst casualty rates this year, with estimated losses of at least 4,000 soldiers.
In a Saturday call with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov revealed the staggering death toll at Avdiivka, according to a Telegram post from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.
The UK Ministry of Defense said Moscow had deployed eight brigades in its campaign to Avdiivka, home to an extensive coke plant and about 16 miles from Russian-occupied Donetsk, but that those forces “have probably suffered some of the Russia’s highest casualty rates in 2023, by far.”
The Ukrainian General Staff said in its Saturday battlefield report that Russian forces were still trying to encircle Avdiivka, but kyiv had continued to repel Moscow’s troops.
“Ukrainian soldiers stand their ground, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy,” he wrote.
The Russian army has likely suffered its worst casualties this year in its fight for the town of Avdiivka. AFP via Getty Images Russia had launched its assault on Avdiivka in mid-October. fake images
Russia launched its assault on the Donetsk oblast city in mid-October, attacking Ukrainian forces with repeated artillery strikes along with a barrage of troop and armored vehicle attacks, according to Ukrainian military and local authorities.
President Vladimir Zelesnky boasted Friday that in the Russian offensive on Avdiivka, Moscow lost “at least one brigade,” which varies in size but can have up to 8,000 soldiers.
“The invaders made several attempts to surround Avdiivka, but each time our soldiers stopped them and drove them back, causing painful losses,” Zelesnky said.
Main sites of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
- Melitopol: kyiv forces continued to advance towards the city of Melitopol on the Sea of Azov in the south. If Ukraine were to retake Melitopol, it could come closer to breaking the Russian-controlled land corridor linking the annexed Crimean Peninsula to mainland Russia, splitting Moscow’s forces in two and cutting its supply lines.
- Zaporizhzhia: Intense battles were fought in the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia, where US officials said kyiv had launched its “main push” aimed at retaking 20% of its occupied territory. While Moscow claimed to have repelled Ukrainian attacks with dozens of armored vehicles and inflicted heavy losses on Kiev’s troops, the Institute for the Study of War reported that the Ukrainian offensive appeared to have breached some Russian defenses.
- Donetsk: Ukrainian troops on Thursday recaptured the strategically important village of Staromaiorske, located in the Donetsk region, south of a cluster of settlements along the Mokri Yaly River that Kiev had seized at the start of the counteroffensive. Control of the village could open the way for Ukraine to advance south toward the coast.
- Bakhmut: Ukrainian forces were said to be “gradually advancing” near Bakhmut in the east, where Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar claimed Russians were dying at a rate eight times that of Ukrainians. Geolocated images showed that Kiev troops had made gains south of the town of Klishchiivka, and additional fighting was reported near the settlements of Kudriumivka and Andriivka.
Russia’s concentrated attack on Avdiivka came almost five months after Ukraine launched its counteroffensive in southern and eastern territories currently held by Moscow.
The Institute for the Study of War, a U.S. think tank, said Thursday that Moscow’s forces have suffered serious equipment losses in their campaign for control of Avdiivka, which “will likely undermine Russia’s long-term offensive capabilities.” “.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said Russia has lost at least 4,000 soldiers in its ongoing fight for Avdiivka. Getty Images Russia’s assault on Avdiivka came almost five months after Ukraine launched its counteroffensive. fake images
The Biden administration said this week that Russian military leaders were executing soldiers who refused to follow orders and threatened to kill entire units if they tried to withdraw from the battlefield in Ukraine.
With postal cables
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Source: vtt.edu.vn