German-made Leopard 2 tanks have been spotted near the embattled city of Bakhmut, according to a military advisor for the Russian-annexed region of Donestk, Jan Gagin, with his claim also confirmed by the Rossiya 1 television station.
Gagin, however, claims that the muddy clay soil of the region is making it difficult for the extremely heavy German tanks to traverse the ground.
It is unclear what information Rossiya 1 and Gagin are basing their report on. Ukraine is likely eager to get the advanced tanks to the front, and Bakhmut is currently seeing the heaviest fighting in the country, However, as of yet, there is no photographic or video evidence of Leopard 2 tanks in the region. The only confirmed Leopard 2 tanks on Ukrainian soil are the four sent by Poland, but it is unknown where these tanks are currently located.
Gagin said that around 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers remain in the besieged city of Bakhmut and that the Russian army is hindering attempts to send reinforcements and transport supplies. He said Russian forces are targeting supply routes, and in many cases, Ukrainian forces are not even attempting to resupply units.
The situation in the city remains dire, according to Hungarian media outlet Magyar Nemzet, but Ukrainian forces have held on to the city for months despite repeated advances from Russian forces.
Reuters noted on Wednesday that its journalists were still able to reach Bakhmut from the west on Monday, which the agency offered as “proof that the city was not yet surrounded despite Russian forces pressing from north and south to close the last remaining routes in.”
Gagin said that Ukrainian columns may try to break into the city to resupply troops and deliver ammunition. Ukrainian counter-offensives have also been reported, but it is unclear how much headway they have made against Russian forces attempting to encircle the city.
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As Remix News reported yesterday, an American volunteer fighter said that the average Ukrainian soldier on the front line lasts only four hours.
Lieutenant General Igor Konasenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Defense, stated that the Ukrainian losses suffered during the past day were about 540 dead and wounded, with most of the 350 soldiers losing their lives in the Donetsk region. Additionally, local authorities reported Ukrainian artillery attacks from several settlements in areas under Russian control, which resulted in six civilian casualties.
The Ukrainian side, on the other hand, says that Russian forces have lost 800 soldiers since last Thursday.
Both sides are undoubtedly suffering high casualties as the battle for Bakhmut intensifies. The city of 70,000 only has a few thousand civilians left, as most of the buildings and infrastructure have been destroyed or damaged due to Russian shelling.
