United States intelligence has reported that over 20,000 Russian combatants died in the battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut in the last five months, BBC reported Monday.
According to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, half of the dead are from the Russian-aligned Wagner group. Meanwhile, another 80,000 have been wounded — more than the city's pre-war population of 70,000.
"Russia's attempt at an offensive in the Donbas largely through Bakhmut has failed," Kirby told reporters. "Russia has been unable to seize any real strategic and significant territory."
"We estimate that Russia has suffered more than 100,000 casualties, including over 20,000 killed in action," he added, concluding that "Russia's attempted offensive has backfired after months of fighting and extraordinary losses."
Kirby did not provide casualty numbers for Ukraine.
The news comes as Ukraine said over the weekend that its troops were steadily holding onto Bakhmut, despite Russian forces slowly closing in on the city after months of trying to take it over.
"Fierce fighting continues in the city of Bakhmut. The enemy cannot take control over the city, despite throwing all its forces into the battle and having some success," Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar stated on Telegram.
"The defense of Bakhmut is coping with its military tasks," she added.
Elsewhere, Ukraine is preparing to launch a promised counteroffensive with the help of new military assistance from the West, including advanced tanks, aircraft, and missile launchers.
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