1030 Russian soldiers killed
Ukraine reports deadliest day for Russian troops
02/07/2023, 2:10 p.m
The fighting between the Ukrainian and Russian armies has been concentrated in the east of the country for weeks. The aim of the government in Moscow should be to be able to record new successes on the anniversary of the invasion. For the time being, according to Ukrainian information, the military has to take heavy losses.
The Russian military has experienced its deadliest day since the invasion began, according to Ukrainian sources. The Ukrainian military said there had been heavy Russian losses in attacks in eastern Ukraine in the past 24 hours. A total of 1,030 Russian soldiers fell. According to Ukrainian sources, the number of Russian soldiers killed since the outbreak of war has risen to 133,190. Russia denies high losses and, for its part, states a large number of Ukrainian soldiers killed. The reports could not be independently confirmed.
For weeks, fighting between the Ukrainian and Russian armies has been concentrated in the east of the country, in the Luhansk and Donetsk districts. According to the government in Kyiv and Western countries, Russia has been strengthening troops in the region for weeks. The aim of the government in Moscow should therefore be to be able to record new successes on the first anniversary of the invasion of the neighboring country on February 24th. Fighting is concentrated in the Ukrainian-held town of Bakhmut, a town with a pre-war population of about 75,000.
Russian troops claim to have almost surrounded the city. Also, further south, Moscow has launched an attack on Wuhledar, a Ukrainian-held bastion on high ground at the strategic intersection of the eastern and southern front lines.
London: Russia is making no headway on offensives
The British government does not expect Russia to make a breakthrough in the war anytime soon. “The Russian leadership will probably continue to demand far-reaching advances,” said the Ministry of Defense in London on the basis of its intelligence report. However, it remains unlikely that Russia will be able to put together the forces needed to significantly influence the outcome of the war in the coming weeks.
The Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu again warned of an “unpredictable” escalation because of the western arms deliveries. “The United States and its allies are trying to prolong the conflict as much as possible,” the Russian news agency Interfax quoted Shoigu as saying.