Situation around Bakhmut stabilized, but fighting continues, Ukrainian military says
The Ukrainian military repelled Russian attacks in the Bakhmut area (Photo:REUTERS/Oleksandr Ratushniak)
Ukraine’s army has stabilized the situation in Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, and while fighting continues to rage, it is now less intense, Ukrainian Armed Forces Eastern Group spokesperson Serhiy Cherevatyi said on national television on March 26.
"Yesterday there were 18 assaults along the entire Bakhmut front, today there were 17," he said.
“Before that, there were 35 to 50 or more. However, this requires more detailed verification and analysis. Perhaps the enemy is maneuvering their reserves (or conducting) reconnaissance. So far, they have been firing on the Bakhmut axis as (much) as before – 268 attacks in total, 94 attacks on the city of Bakhmut itself, 17 clashes, 13 near the city.”
Over the last day near Bakhmut, Russian occupation forces lost a tank, an airborne assault vehicle, an infantry fighting vehicle, a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery vehicle, two drones, a company command and observation post, and 10 field ammunition depots.
The Russian army has reinforced its artillery on the Lyman-Kupyansk axis over the past few weeks, leading to continuous shelling, said Cherevatyi.
"Over the last day, the occupiers made 370 attacks with cannon and rocket artillery," he said.
“There were 10 combat engagements, the adversary lost a tank, an infantry fighting vehicle, an airborne assault vehicle and, most importantly, the 92nd Brigade destroyed a pricey electronic warfare station this morning.”
Cherevatyi also noted the difference from Russian offensives on the Kupyansk-Lyman axis.
Enemy units are more professional there – battles resemble classic war with plenty of equipment and regular troops, so Russian losses are lower.
In the past 24 hours, Putin's army has lost 60 killed and about 100 wounded near Kupyansk-Lyman, while near Bakhmut while Wagner mercenaries were there, 100 being killed in a day was a common occurrence.
Cherevatyi also commented on Western intelligence reports that the Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine had "stalled."
"We did not allow the enemy to break through our defense anywhere," he said.
“We did not allow them to achieve any significant success in a strategic offensive. Therefore, perhaps we can agree with this statement.”
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