Russia is losing “500 killed and wounded every day” in their attempts to take the eastern city of Bakhmut, a Ukrainian official has claimed, as President Volodymyr Zelensky wanted that Putin is planning “something symbolic” for the anniversary of his invasion on February 24. Ukrainian defence minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Sunday that the fighting for Bakhmut had reached a critical stage as reports suggested VDV units had arrived to bolster Wagner Group attempts to take the city.
The increased efforts suggest Russia’s anticipated spring offensive could already be underway, with Andriy Chernyak, a spokesman for Ukraine’s military intelligence, claiming that Vladimir Putin has ordered the capture of the entire Donbas, comprising the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions, by March.
FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES
