War in Ukraine: Major losses, and the Battle for Bakhmut is intensifying

The BBC has failed to verify the figures made public by the parties.

Analysts say Bakhmu has no major strategic value, but has become a central point for Russian commanders who want to deliver any positive news on the Kremlin at all costs.

The city's conquest would draw Russia a little closer to its goal of controlling the entire Donetski region, which is one of four regions in Russia's occupied eastern and southern Ukraine last September, following widely condemned referenda outside Russia as a fraud.

Ukrainian commanders, who have invested considered resources to protect the city, say their strategy aims to connect Russian forces and prevent Moscow from launching further offensive in the coming months.

Why Bakhmu matters to Russia and Ukraine

“in less than a week, from March 6th, we managed to kill more than 1,100 opposing soldiers in Bakhmut alone, Russia's recent defeat right there, very close to Bakhmut,”, Zelensky said in a night-time footage.

He added that 1500 Russian soldiers were seriously injured enough to keep them out of the next shares.

The Russian Defence Ministry said Russian forces had killed “over 220 Ukrainian soldiers”

The commander of the Ukrainian Land Forces, Colonel Oleksander Syrskii, said the Russian mercenary group Wagner was attacking his troops in several ways, in an attempt to break defence and advance to the central circles of the city.

The paramilitary organisations are at the center of the Russian assault on Bakhmut. Her leader, Yevgeny Pigozin, risked his reputation and that of his private army to capture Bakhmut.

He said Sunday that the situation in the city was a difficult, very difficult “, opponents were fighting for every piece of land.

“The closer the city centre is, the tougher the fighting is,” he said through a tape published on the telegram.

After the capture of the “planned” of Bakhmut, “n we will start re-animating” and “we will resume recruiting new people from all regions”, he said.

On Saturday, the Institute for War Studies, an American think tank, reported that Moscow's offensive is getting stuck.

The Wagner Group fighters are aiming to become increasingly obsessed in urban areas... and therefore are having difficulty making important advances,” he said.

Some 70,000 people lived before the invasion of Bakhmut, but there are only a few now. The city was once best known for its salt and gipsy mines while it is also known for its large wine vineyards.

Those left in these areas risk a dangerous existence, as several people remain injured Monday, said Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Krylenko.

Like Russia, Ukraine has given political importance to Bakhmut, with President Zelensky making the city a symbol of resistance.

When he visited Washington in December, he called it “Moral Castle” and donated the flag to the US Congress.

Western officials estimate that between 20,000 and 30,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded so far in Bakhmut and the suburbs.

More recently throughout Donescu's region, seven residents were injured Monday, Mr. Karlenko said.

Further east in Luhansk, regional governor Serhily Hasai said opponents had “significantlyintensed grants” on the front line, with an increase in the attacks.

Hasai added that Russian troops were also continuing to bring equipment and troops to the area.

While on the other side of eastern Ukraine, there have been 47 attacks on Ukrainian troops in Zaporizhja, according to regional administration.

It was also reported for bombings in much of the Donbas region.