Serhiy Sherevaty, a spokesman for Ukrainian forces in the east, said on Saturday that more than 500 Russian soldiers had been killed or wounded within 24 hours in the battle for the eastern city of Bakhmut.
Pro-Moscow forces have been fighting for Bakhmut’s control in the eastern Donbass region for months. Both sides admit significant losses and exact figures are difficult to verify.
Sherivati said the Russians launched 16 attacks in 24 hours, with 23 clashes taking place in Bakhmut.
He added to the national parliament television station: “During the battle, 221 enemy personnel were killed and 314 wounded with varying degrees of severity.”
It’s not clear from Shirefati’s comments whether those leaks occurred on Friday or in the past 24 hours.
In a related development, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba has urged Germany to speed up ammunition deliveries and start
Training of Ukrainian pilots on Western fighter aircraft.
Kuleba explained to the German newspaper “Bild am Sonntag” that the lack of ammunition is the “first” problem Ukraine has to face in repelling the Russian attack.
He added that German arms makers told him at the Munich security conference last month that they were ready for the handover process but were waiting for the government to sign the contracts.
“So the problem is the government,” Kuleba commented.
He said he did not expect Ukraine to receive the fighter jets it was asking for from Western allies any time soon.
But he said, according to the paper, Ukrainian pilots should still be trained in so that they are ready once the decision is made.
He added that if Germany trained Ukrainian pilots, it would be “a clear message for its political commitment”.
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