Russia lost more than “four companies” of troops in the space of 24 hours, a Ukrainian military official said on Sunday, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that a counteroffensive was progressing well.
“Every day turns into hell for Russians. Our soldiers skilfully destroy the enemy,” Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, commander of Ukrainian troops in the southern Tavriia sector, said in a post on his Telegram channel.
Ukraine launched its long anticipated counteroffensive to recapture Russian-occupied territory in early June. Deputy Ukrainian Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said on Monday morning that Ukraine’s armed forces has so far retaken eight settlements, while Zelensky aide Mykhailo Podolyak has suggested that a decisive counteroffensive from Kyiv hasn’t yet begun.
Maliar said Ukraine has liberated the settlements of: Novodarovka, Levadne, Storozheve, Makarivka, Blagodatne, Lobkove, Neskuchne and Piatykhatky. She also said that over the past two weeks, Ukraine’s military has advanced seven kilometers (four miles) to the south, recapturing 113 square kilometers (44 square miles) of its territory. This couldn’t immediately be verified by Newsweek.
“In the Tavriia direction, units of missile troops and artillery of the Defense Forces performed 1,829 fire missions during the day,” wrote Tarnavskyi. “Over the last day, the enemy’s losses in killed and wounded amounted to more than four companies.”
Depending on the type of troops, a company in the Russian army can number anywhere from 30 to 150 soldiers, according to GlobalSecurity.org, a U.S. think tank.
Tarnavskyi said Ukraine destroyed and damaged 77 items of Russian military equipment.
“In particular, a Ka-52 helicopter, 24 tanks, 12 BMP units, 5 BBM, 3 MTLB [various types of armored vehicles], 2 armored personnel carriers, 2 Orlan-10 unmanned aerial vehicle, a Zala unmanned aerial vehicle, Sturm-S anti-tank missile system.”
He added that Ukraine’s armed forces destroyed 12 Russian ammunition storage sites.
The British Defense Ministry assessed on Sunday that both Russia and Ukraine have suffered significant losses since the counteroffensive kicked off.
“In recent days, heavy fighting has continued, with the most intense combat focused in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, western Donetsk Oblast, and around Bakhmut,” it said, noting that Ukraine has made small advances in these areas.
“In the south, Russian forces often conduct relatively effective defensive operations. Both sides are suffering high casualties, with Russian losses likely the highest since the peak of the battle for Bakhmut in March,” the ministry said.
Zelensky on Sunday praised Ukraine’s armed forces for being “very effective in repelling assaults” near Avdiivka in the Donetsk region.
“Our troops are on the move: position by position, step by step, we are going forward,” he said.
Newsweek has contacted Russia’s Defense Ministry for comment via email.
Source : Newsweek
