Russian offensive in Bakhmut is in full swing and ‘lose a mean of 500 folks killed or wounded per day’

Ukrainian Protection Minister Oleksiy Reznikov has mentioned on Wednesday that the Russian offensive is in full swing.

The Russians are rapidly exhausting their offensive capabilities as a result of Ukrainian forces holding the town of Bakhmut, Donetsk area, which stays a “Ukrainian fortress.”

Reznikov advised Polish newspaper Wyborcza in an interview, “Their [Russians] losses are insane.

“In accordance with our navy estimates, solely in Bakhmut course, the Russians lose a mean of 500 folks killed or wounded per day.

“Which means that they’re rapidly exhausting their offensive capabilities there. Therefore the principled choice of our command: to carry Bakhmut, regardless of their very own losses.

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“Since its protection limits the probabilities of the Russians and offers us stability alongside all the frontline. Will the occupiers be capable of intensify their assaults? Let’s see. They want success,”

In response of what some consultants have mentioned in regards to the inexpediency of defending Bakhmut, he mentioned, “the town and the hills which can be subsequent to it are a handy territory for protection.”

He added, “If we obtained out of it, it might imply the necessity to defend ourselves in one other place the place there is no such thing as a such handy type of terrain.”

Reznikov mentioned Russia has marked a slender part of the frontline in Donbas, the place they’ve concentrated their efforts, particularly the well-trained Wagner fighters who’re getting used “like cannon fodder.”

He mentioned, “I consider that the offensive is in full swing – solely their plan was to interrupt by means of the entrance within the Bakhmut space and assault with full-scale forces of aviation, artillery and armored automobiles with a view to occupy all the Donetsk and Luhansk areas.

“For them, that is necessary from a political perspective. They wished to indicate that at the very least one of many targets introduced by Putin at the start of the invasion had been achieved, however this didn’t occur, and Bakhmut stays our fortress.”

He mentioned that as a result of provide of weapons from the West, Ukraine already has ample artillery potential.

He added, “We name it the ‘artillery zoo’ as a result of the techniques are from completely different international locations, together with the environment friendly Polish Krab self-propelled howitzers.”