Ukraine war: Heavy losses reported as battle for Bakhmut rages

Ukraine and Russia person reported inflicting dense losses arsenic the conflict for Bakhmut rages on.

Moscow has been trying to instrumentality the eastbound Ukrainian metropolis for months successful a grinding warfare of attrition.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces had suffered much than 1,100 deaths successful the past fewer days, with galore much earnestly injured.

Russia said it had killed much than 220 Ukrainian work members implicit the past 24 hours.

The BBC is incapable to verify the numbers fixed by either side.

Analysts accidental Bakhmut has small strategical value, but has go a focal constituent for Russian commanders who person struggled to present immoderate affirmative quality to the Kremlin.

Capture of the metropolis would bring Russia somewhat person to its extremity of controlling the full of Donetsk region, 1 of 4 regions successful eastbound and confederate Ukraine annexed by Russia past September pursuing referendums wide condemned extracurricular Russia arsenic a sham.

"In little than a week, starting from 6 March, we managed to termination much than 1,100 force soldiers successful the Bakhmut assemblage alone, Russia's irreversible loss, close there, adjacent Bakhmut," Mr Zelensky said successful his nightly video address.

He added that 1,500 Russian soldiers were wounded severely capable to support them retired of further action.

Russia's defence ministry said Russian forces had killed "more than 220 Ukrainian servicemen".

The commandant of Ukraine's crushed forces, Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, said the Russian mercenary Wagner Group was attacking his troops from respective directions successful a bid to interruption done defences and beforehand to the cardinal districts of the town.

The paramilitary organisation is astatine the bosom of the Russian battle connected Bakhmut. Its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has staked his reputation, and that of his backstage army, connected seizing Bakhmut.

He said connected Sunday that the concern successful the metropolis was "difficult, precise difficult, the force is warring for each metre".

"And the person to the metropolis centre, the fiercer the fighting," helium said successful a dependable signaling published connected Telegram.

After his envisioned seizure of Bakhmut, "we volition statesman to reboot" and "will commencement recruiting caller radical from the regions", helium said.

And connected Saturday, the Institute for the Study of War - a US deliberation vessel - reported that Moscow's offence was stalling.

"Wagner Group fighters are apt becoming progressively pinned successful municipality areas... and are truthful uncovering it hard to marque important advances," it said.

There were astir 70,000 radical surviving successful Bakhmut earlier the invasion, but lone a fewer 1000 remain. The metropolis was erstwhile champion known for its brackish and gypsum mines and immense winery.

Like Russia, Ukraine has besides fixed Bakhmut governmental significance, with President Zelensky making the metropolis an emblem of resistance.

When helium visited Washington successful December, helium called it "the fortress of our morale" and gave a Bakhmut emblem to the US Congress.

Western officials estimation betwixt 20,000 and 30,000 Russian troops person been killed oregon injured truthful acold successful and astir Bakhmut.