Skip to content
Edit post

Danilov: Ukraine lost 7.5 times fewer troops than Russia in Bakhmut

by The Kyiv Independent news desk June 4, 2023 1:49 PM 1 min read
Oleksii Danilov, the National Security and Defense Council's secretary, speaks with the Kyiv Independent on Jan. 30, 2023. (Danilo Pavlov)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Ukraine's losses in the Battle of Bakhmut were lower than Russia's by a factor of 7.5, National Security and Defense Council chief Oleksiy Danilov told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.  

According to an article published on June 4, Danilov said that Russia had lost 22,816 people in Bakhmut since Sept. 1, 2022, around the time when convicted criminals recruited from prisons began augmenting Russia's front-line troops.    

The Wagner Group mercenaries and their prison recruits played the leading role in Russia's 10-month-long assault on the city.

When asked why Ukraine defended Bakhmut so tenaciously, Danilov said that Ukraine's defenders must defend their cities and have no right to abandon them.

According to multiple accounts, Ukraine also took many losses in Bakhmut. Multiple soldiers fighting there described a brutal environment with a very high chance of death or injury in conversations with the Kyiv Independent.

Bakhmut was effectively occupied in late May.

Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said Ukrainian forces still hold the southwestern edges of the ruined city.

Russia takes Bakhmut: Taking stock of the war’s bloodiest battle so far
CHASIV YAR, Donetsk Oblast – Ten months after Russia’s assault on the once-flourishing city in Donetsk Oblast began, Bakhmut has now been effectively occupied by Russian troops. This hasn’t been confirmed yet by Kyiv, but is evident based on both official statements and those made by soldiers on th…
Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight.
Freedom can be costly. Both Ukraine and its journalists are paying a high price for their independence. Support independent journalism in its darkest hour. Support us for as little as $1, and it only takes a minute.
visa masterCard americanExpress

News Feed

10:43 AM

Media: Kuleba expected to visit India later in March.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is expected to visit India later this month, marking the first trip by a Ukrainian high-level official to the country since the outbreak of the full-scale war, The Hindu reported on March 19, citing an undisclosed diplomatic source.
Ukraine Daily
News from Ukraine in your inbox
Ukraine news
Please, enter correct email address
8:55 AM

Military reports strengthening fortifications in Sumy Oblast.

Ukrainian forces are strengthening the fortifications of the first, second, and third lines of defense in Sumy Oblast bordering Russia amid intensified attacks, Vadym Mysnyk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military's Northern Operational Command, told Ukrinform on March 18.
8:34 AM

Serbian court opens retrial of fugitive ex-SBU official.

Andrii Naumov pleaded not guilty to the charges raised against him, but his lawyers confirmed that at the time of his detention, the ex-SBU official was carrying cash in a larger amount than permitted while crossing the border.
5:08 AM

Politico: Xi Jinping to visit France in May.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron in France this May, Politico reported on March 18. This would be the Chinese leader's first visit to Europe since the pandemic.
3:37 AM

Russia attacks 11 communities in Sumy Oblast.

Russian forces struck 11 communities in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy Oblast in 50 separate attacks throughout the day, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported on March 18.
12:22 AM

Charles Michel: ‘Europe must prepare for war.’

If Europe wants to exist in peace it must shift to a “war economy” mode and significantly bolster defense capabilities in the face of the threat posed by Russia, European Council President Charles Michel said on March 18.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.