Extract from ABC News
Ukraine has destroyed Russia's most combat-capable units in Bakhmut, Kyiv's top general says.
Key points:
- The 10-month-long battle for Bakhmut has taken on symbolic importance for both sides
- It has become the fulcrum of a war that has seen little shift in front lines since late 2022
Ukrainian forces also shelled a village in the Russian Bryansk region bordering Ukraine
"We continue, despite all the forecasts and advice, to hold Bakhmut," Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine's Commander of Ground Forces said in a video released on his official Telegram channel.
"We give an opportunity for our reserves to prepare and we are preparing for further actions ourselves," he said.
The 10-month-long battle for the eastern Ukrainian city has taken on a symbolic importance for both sides.
It has become the fulcrum of a war that has seen little shift in frontlines since late 2022, leaving both sides looking for a breakthrough.
Earlier, Ukrainian forces shelled a village in the Russian Bryansk region bordering Ukraine, a day after an explosion derailed a freight train in the region.
"In the morning, the Armed Forces of Ukraine shelled the village of Kurkovichi in the Starodubsky municipal district," Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz said in a post on his Telegram channel.
"There were no casualties. As a result of the shelling, a fire broke out in one of the households. All emergency services are on site."
Reuters was not able to independently verify the report.
The White House estimated that Russia's military had suffered 100,000 casualties in the past five months in fighting against Ukraine in the Bakhmut region, including 20,000 deaths, half from the Wagner mercenary group.
Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia and on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine.
The military, however, reports daily on activities and troops movements in battlefield areas.
On Monday, a locomotive and seven freight wagons were derailed in Bryansk after an unidentified explosive device went off, Governor Bogomaz said.
Russian authorities said the region — which borders both Ukraine and Belarus — has seen multiple attacks by pro-Ukrainian sabotage groups in the 14 months since Russia invaded.
On Saturday, the governor said four civilians died when a village was struck by shelling from the Ukrainian side of the border.
Reuters
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