Ukraine and Russia reported heavy casualties during the Battle of Bakhmut. Moscow has been trying for months to capture the eastern Ukrainian city in a war of attrition.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces had killed more than 1,100 people and seriously injured many others in recent days. Russia says it has killed more than 220 Ukrainian soldiers in the past 24 hours.
None of the media agencies was able to verify the figures of the casualties provided by either party.
Analysts say Bakhmut has little strategic value, but the city became important for the Russian commanders to deliver positive news to the Kremlin.
The capture of the city will bring Russia one step closer to its goal of controlling the entire Donetsk region, one of four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine annexed by Russia after the expulsion last September. The referendum was condemned as a farce by many outside Russia.
Commanders of Ukraine defending the city, say their strategy is to tie down Russian forces and prevent Moscow from launching further attacks in the coming months.
“Despite significant losses, the enemy continues offensive operations on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Maryinka, and Shakhtarsk axes as Ukraine’s Defense Forces repelled 102 assault attempts in the past 24 hours,” the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said.
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