Military spokesperson: 532 Russian casualties in Bakhmut area on March 12

Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Eastern Military Command, said on March 12 that during the past day, 239 Russian soldiers were recorded killed, and another 293 injured in the sector of the front line around Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast.

According to Cherevatyi, Russia shelled the city 161 times over the day, while 39 combat clashes with Ukrainian soldiers were recorded.

“Bakhmut continues to be the epicenter of hostilities,” Cherevatyi said.

According to him, Russia is trying to “break through our defense by concentrating the best-prepared Wagner groups.”

Despite being surrounded on three sides by Russian forces, Ukraine's military has committed to its defense of Bakhmut, ostensibly for the sake of inflicting large-scale attrition on the forces of the Wagner paramilitary group.

He added that Ukrainian troops destroyed two Russian T-72 main battle tanks and one Osa short-range anti-aircraft missile system over the day.

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The Kyiv Independent