A military spokesman said during an interview on Ukrainian television on Sunday that Russia has “set a record” for shelling Ukraine with artillery fire in the east.
“For several days in a row, the enemy set a record of hitting Ukraine with artillery fire in the Liman direction and in the Luhansk region,” said Serhiy Cherevaty with the Eastern Group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. “In the last 24 hours, 424 shells were fired by different types of artillery and 23 engagements took place,” he said.
According to Cherevati, the main direction of the enemy’s attack remained on the Bakhmut section of the front line.
“There, the enemy attacked the entire section of the front 167 times with various types of rocket-propelled artillery, and there were 41 skirmishes between the forces. The enemy lost 212 soldiers and 315 were wounded,” he continued .
CNN has not been able to independently confirm the continued casualty count.
“There were 48 attacks and 19 clashes between forces in the area of Bakhmut itself,” he said. He added that “battles were also fought in the area of Torske, Fedorivka, Ivanovske and Chasiv Yar.”
When asked whether the Russians are trying to wear down Ukrainian troops, Cherevaty expressed confidence that, on the contrary, “the defense forces in the east of Ukraine are tiring the enemy out so that he cannot launch a large-scale offensive” ”
“Right now, the defenders of Eastern Ukraine are doing an incredible job – they are exhausting the enemy and causing the enemy losses in manpower and equipment, which certainly affects the quality of the enemy’s conduct of hostilities and its moral and psychological Both are reflected in the state, “Cherevati said.
He also reported that currently, “army reserves are being prepared to deliver a decisive blow to the enemy and push him away from the territory of Ukraine under the supervision of the Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine and the Chief of the General Staff.”
“Of course, using the help of our partners from the free world,” said Cherevati.