Two Russian military officers killed on Ukraine front line, Moscow says
Two of Russia’s military commanders were killed in combat in Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine, Moscow said yesterday.
Col Vyacheslav Makarov, the commander of the 4th Motorised Rifle Brigade, and Col Yevgeny Brovko, deputy commander of the Army Corps, died in the battle for control of the city, the Russian Defence Ministry said.
Col Makarov was killed as his brigade repelled attacks by Ukrainian troops south of the settlement of Krasne.
Col Brovko died as Russian troops defended attacks elsewhere, the ministry said, attributing his death to shrapnel wounds.
Referring to Wagner Group forces, Moscow said “assault detachments” continued to fight for control of western parts of Bakhmut with the support of airborne forces.
“Over the past day, the enemy has made massive attempts to break through the defence of our troops to the north and south of Artemovsk,” the ministry said, referring to Bakhmut by its Russian name. “All attacks of the Ukrainian armed forces have been repelled.”
Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner Group chief, continued to use social media to accuse the Russian army of inaction.
In a post published by his press service, he disputed the ministry’s claim that Russia’s airborne forces had supported his troops, who have been pressing Bakhmut for months.
Russia releases few details of its manpower and losses in Ukraine. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu last year said 5,937 Russian troops had been killed in combat.
Moscow on Friday said its forces had fallen back in the north of the city amid a surge of Ukrainian attacks.
Kyiv played down suggestions that its long discussed counter-offensive had begun.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s air force said it intercepted and destroyed three missiles and 25 drones overnight in the latest aerial attack.
Ukraine does not report hits on its critical or military infrastructure.