Russia lost six tanks in the span of 24 hours during clashes near the city of Bakhmut, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, said on Thursday.
“In one day we destroyed six Russian tanks in the Bakhmut direction,” said Syrskyi, who is in operational control of Ukraine’s ongoing counteroffensive efforts in the southeast of the country.
Last month, more than three months into its counteroffensive to reclaim territory seized by Russia in the war, Ukraine announced that it had reclaimed the village of Andriivka, roughly six miles south of Bakhmut. Kyiv said that Moscow’s forces in the area were left “in tatters” after the battle. Bakhmut has seen some of the fiercest clashes of the conflict, and Ukraine’s counteroffensive is advancing toward the industrial city.
“The Asgard group, the Ochi unit of the 120th Separate Airborne Brigade worked in cooperation with the Shark group of the 28th Brigade, the Klavdich group of the 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, and the head of the electronic warfare and cyber warfare service of the 28th Brigade” worked to destroy the Russian tanks near Bakhmut, the commander said in a post on his official Telegram channel.
“Our soldiers canceled three T-72 tanks, one T-80 and two T-90,” his statement added. “Glory to Ukraine.”
Newsweek couldn’t independently verify the Russian losses and has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry by email to request comment.
The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said in a post on social media on Thursday that near Bakhmut, Russian forces “made unsuccessful attempts to regain the lost ground in the vicinities of Hryhorivka, Klishchiivka, and Andriivka (Donetsk oblast).”
“The Ukrainian defense forces continue assault operations south of Bakhmut (Donetsk oblast), inflict losses in manpower and equipment on the enemy, and consolidate their new positions,” the General Staff said.
It said that since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Moscow has lost 4,757 tanks, including 12 tanks in the past 24 hours.
Newsweek has not been able to independently verify Ukraine’s figures. Estimates of military casualties in the conflict vary widely, with figures provided by Ukraine usually outstripping those given by its Western allies. Russia rarely releases figures on its own troop losses, but when it does, its estimates are far lower than those of Ukraine.
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