Vladimir Putin, photo: Pavel Bednyakov / AP / Profimedia
Over 700,000 Russian soldiers are currently held on the “contact line” in Ukraine, where Moscow continues for months offensive actions and gains ground in certain sectors, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, according to Reuters and AFP.
The Kremlin leader made this statement at a television meeting with the main Russian parliamentarians.
Since the launch of its large-scale offensive against Ukraine, more than three and a half years ago, Russia has mobilized huge human and material resources, while suffering heavy military losses, according to independent media.
A few days ago, the Russian Independent Publication, in collaboration with the Russian BBC service, confirmed the identity of at least 130,150 Russian military killed in the Ukraine war. This investigation, however, states that the real number of victims is probably significantly higher, because the verified information comes from public sources, such as obituary, posts on the social networks of relatives, reports of regional media, statements of local authorities and other sources.
Moscow and Kiev rarely provide official reports on their military losses. Ukraine estimates that the total number of Russian, dead or wounded soldiers during the width exceeded 1 million.
And the Ukrainians are counter -offensive on the front
Also on Thursday, the President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenski, who had just paid a visit to the Donetk region, announced that Ukrainian troops have triggered a counter -offensive against Russian forces, and Kiev has already regained seven settlements.
“In fact, our forces deprived the occupant of the possibility to carry out a large-scale offensive operation, which (Russians) have long planned and they were counting,” he said, in a video speech.
The Ukrainian army has launched a counter -offensive on the eastern front, Zelenski announces. How much territory has recaptured, in two of the hottest fighting sectors
The Ukrainian forces have regained 160 square kilometers since the beginning of the operation, the Ukrainian leader also said, adding that over 170 square kilometers and nine other localities were “released by occupants”.
The Kiev leader did not specify when the operation began. He described the ongoing struggles as intense in the area of Dobropillia, an area that experienced rapid advances of Russians in mid-August, and around the Pokrovsk strategic hub.
Seven settlements were regained in the front sectors of Dobropillia and Pokrovsk during the operation, Zelenski said, citing a report by the head of the Ukrainian army, General Oleksandr Sîrskîi.
Donetsk, the epicenter of battles
The eastern region Donetk, which is only partially occupied by the Russian army, but Moscow wants Ukraine to abandon before any kind of peace agreement, remains the epicenter of the most intense struggles.
On Thursday, a Russian guided bombsheet killed five civilians in Kostiantynivka, a city about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Dobropillia.
The Russian forces approached 8 kilometers from the city, which served for a long time as a crucial logistics center for Ukrainian troops defending a portion of the front line.
Russia has concentrated “up to 100,000” soldiers near a key city in eastern Ukraine. Zelenski's warning
