Land Forces chief says Russia continues to suffer 'significant' losses in Bakhmut
Russia continues to suffer "significant losses" in Bakhmut, Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine's Land Forces, reported on June 3 following a visit with front-line troops in the embattled city.
"The enemy continues to suffer significant losses in the Bakhmut sector," Syrskyi stated on Telegram. "The [Ukrainian] defense forces continue to fight. We will win."
A Western official recently told British Sky News that as of June 1, Russia had suffered over 60,000 casualties during its assault on Bakhmut.
A June 3 report from the U.K. Defense Ministry stated that Russia has suffered heavy casualties and immense weapon expenditure in the city. As a result, Russia is "likely to be less flexible in reacting to operational challenges," the ministry said.
Bakhmut has been the site of intense attritional fighting between Russia and Ukrainian forces for months. Last month, Wagner mercenary group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed Bakhmut had fallen to Russia, a claim that Ukraine has denied.
Shortly after claiming control over the city, Prigozhin announced that all Wagner mercenaries would withdraw from the city by June 1. But according to Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar, Wager troops have yet to leave Bakhmut and are training arriving Russian regular army troops.
Olga Rudenko
