Click to see full-size image
The real numbers of losses in manpower in the warring Armies are not known. The both sides are aimed at hidding the casualties in their ranks and may exaggerate the enemy’s losses. The difference in official numbers is enormous. As for Ukrainian losses, Kiev claims that they are estimated at about 3,000 servicemen, while Russia claims the number of more than 23,000. On the other side, Moscow confirmed deaths of about 1,300 servicemen, while Kiev claims that the Russian Army lost about 20,000 people.
The calculation is also difficult while the fighting continues. The real losses are likely much higher on the both sides.
At the moment,the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are suffering more losses on the front lines, as well as as a result of Russian strikes on Ukrainian military facilities in different regions of the country. Losses in the Ukrainian ranks are also growing due to the tactics of the military command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Ukrainian soldiers who attempt to escape or surrender are killed by their comrades, usually members of nationalist battalions that were deployed with various AFU units to ensure that Ukrainian soldiers were fighting to the death. As a result, dozens of Ukrainian soldiers are found dead in almost all AFU positions taken under control by Russian, DPR and LPR forces.
Click to see full-size image
One of the bloodiest hotspots in the Donbass region is the area of Izyum.
Near Izyum, Russian troops and units of the People’s Militia of the DPR and LPR attacked in four directions. On the left bank of the Oskol River, they took the villages of Rubtsy and Yatskovka and reached the border of Donetsk and Kharkiv regions, pawing the way to Svyatogorsk.
Three other strikes were carried out on the right bank of the Oskol River. Russian forces attacked the village of Dolgenkoe, which is still under the AFU control. To the west, Russian troops broke through the defense of the AFU. The settlements of Suligovka and Pashkovo were taken under the Russian control. As a result of the advance, Russian forces managed to impose the direct fire control on the only railway that supplies the Ukrainian group in the Donbass. At the moment, Russian forces took control of a narrow sector of the front lines and the assault units risk to be trapped in the case of flank attacks.
The fourth direction of the Russian advance was the direction of Bolshaya Kamyshevakha. Russian forces struck the R-79 highway. Ukrainian troops are resisting.
The village of Suligovka located to the south of Izyum has recently came under the Russian control. After fierce fighting which took place for several days, corps of dozens of Ukrainian soldiers were left by their comrades in the area. According to the reports from the area about a platoon of Ukrainian forces was destroyed near Suligovka only.
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
Bodies of the killed Ukrainian soldiers near Izyum were left by their comrades and were buried in mass graves by Russian soldiers.
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
To the east, in the Luhansk People’s Republic, LPR units began an offensive on the city of Liman from the recently occupied Kremennaya. The village of Zarechnoye has reportedly come under their control. The AFU suffered significant losses in the region.
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
A lot of military equipment, including weapons supplied by the Kiev’s Western partners in recent years, was captured by the LPR units.
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
The division of the Donbass branch of the Night Wolves motorcycle showed a captured Ukrainian armored vehicle “Varta” in the area of the Kremennaya.
Georgian militants from the “Foreign Legion” were also liquidated in Kremennaya. The British NLAW and AKS 74 as well as Gergian flag were found in a residential building, where the firing point of the foreign militants was located.
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
Ukrainian positions destroyed in the area:
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
Another trophee of Russian forces in the area of Izyum was a German-made anti-tank mine PARM (Panzerabwehrrichtmine) of the DM 22 modification. It is capable of hitting armored vehicles at a distance of 5 to 100 meters with a cumulative 128-mm grenade with an acoustic or infrared fuse. The mine is capable of maintaining a combat position for up to 40 days. Officially, such mines are not supplied to Ukraine and are not in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
On April 25, the Russian Ministry of Defence shared a video showing the destroyed fortified area of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and nationalist battalions, located right in the residential sector of one of the villages. The exact area in the LPR was not disclosed.
Nationalists equipped firing points in the homes of civilians, and a network of trenches was created on the homesteads, between the farm buildings, which connected the firing points in residential buildings. The cellars and living quarters were used by the nationalists for shelters, armories and ammunition depots.
The retreating AFU units and nationalist battalions left not only weapons, but also dozens of bodies of dead colleagues in the village.
Near Donetsk, units of the DPR People’s Militia are storming the fortified area in Maryinka. To the south, an offensive began in the area of Novomikhailovka. The DPR troops are aimed to reach the rear of the Ukrainian troops who are holding the defense in the city of Ugledar.
The video from the area shows the destroyed remnants of the elite Ukrainian unit of the K2 Special Operation Forces in Maryinka. The position was destroyed by DPR soldiers of the 100 brigade and the assault squad of the 383rd battalion of the Mining Division.
Recently, Russian sources shared footage from a newly captured position of the 95th brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Verhnetoretskoe in the DPR. The videos show dozen of killed Ukrainian soldiers in the trenches (21+):
