Russia lost an eye-watering 1,300 soldiers in one day on Sunday, bringing Moscow’s total casualties to 617,000, Ukraine’s General Staff of the Armed Forces has claimed.
Kyiv’s forces claim that it has destroyed 8,601 (+9) Russian tanks, 16,786 (+26) armored combat vehicles, and 17,646 (+10) artillery systems since the start of the war.
Brigadier General Oleksandr Pivnenko told Ukrinform in July that Vladimir Putin’s troops will have to switch to defensive positions by September, indicating that momentum could shift back into Kyiv’s favour in the east.
He said: “I think, another month or a half – and they will not be able to conduct active assaults in many directions at once and will be on the defensive in any case.
“And we need to form our units and prepare them.”
Russian troops continue to gain ground in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine while many of Kyiv’s soldiers continue their incursion in Kursk, Russia.
Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, admitted on Monday that Ukraine’s plan to invade Russian territory has helped Moscow to make more gains in Ukraine.
He said: “Of course, the enemy understands this (the intent to draw forces away from Pokrovsk)…which is why they continue to concentrate the most forces in the Pokrovsk direction, where their most combat-effective units are located.
“The enemy is trying to divert forces from other sectors, but in the Pokrovsk sector, is doing the opposite and only increasing its forces.”
Despite concerns around the city of Pokrovsk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said there has been “no advance” near the city over the last two days.
He said: “The Kursk operation is fulfilling its tasks and is going according to plan… We believe that the Kursk operation can also affect the (Pokrovsk) direction, where the pressure may be reduced due to a decrease in the number of Russian troops.
“But so far we see that it is difficult there… In any case, no matter how difficult it is, there has been no advance in the Pokrovsk sector for two days.”
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