Europe- Around 50-100 Ukrainian troops are dying on a per-day basis on the frontlines defending against Russia’s full-scale military operation on the Donbas region, Ukrainian President Zelensky said during an address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
At this time, fighting in the region is concentrated around the cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk in Luhansk. As per to Serhiy Gaidai, governor of Luhansk Oblast, Russia is resorting to “scorched-earth” tactics in order to gain control of the region from Ukrainian forces.
Serhiy Gaidai, governor of Luhansk Oblast, Russia, is resorting to “scorched-earth” tactics in order to gain control of the region from Ukrainian forces.
Moreover, the city of Severodonetsk is currently being attacked by Russian forces from four directions in an attempt to cut off the critical city. Till now, Ukraine forces have repelled all the Russian attacks and are still in control of the key industrial city.
Reliable casualty statistics are hard to come by in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, but according to Ukrainian military estimates, Russia is suspected of having lost more troops since the start of the war than it did during the ten years of the Soviet-Afghan war from 1979-to 1989, which saw over 29,000 killed in action.
As per the estimate, on April 19, the Ukrainian armed forces have lost more than 11,000 troops during the course of the armed hostilities.
In spite of the rapidly escalating conflict in the East of the nation, war-torn Ukraine has ruled out any ceasefire or deal which would lead to the transfer of Ukrainian territory to the Russian Federation.
In addition, on May 18, up to 959 Ukrainian soldiers has surrendered in the areas about Mariupol’s Azovstal steel plant following months of besiegement and bombardment by Russian forces.
Furthermore, the officials of Ukraine have estimated that the siege tied-up up to 20,000 Russian soldiers in the region, preventing attacks against Ukraine’s south.