About 10,000 Ukrainian troops remain in Artyomovsk, says DPR advisor

There are currently some 10,000 Ukrainian servicemen in Artyomovsk, known as Bakhmut in Ukraine, Yan Gagin, who is an advisor to acting leader of Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Denis Pushilin, said on Monday.

"Quite a large garrison of [Ukrainian troops] is still deployed in Artyomovsk - some 10,000 people or, perhaps, somewhat more. Parts of it have already left the city, and some parts have been attempting to leave it, while our artillery has been trying to hit them," the expert told Rossya-1 television.

Earlier on Monday, Gagin also said that the cauldron in Artymovosk was similar to the one Ukrainian troops got encircled into in 2015.

On March 1, founder of the Wagner private military company Yevgeny Prigozhin said that tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops were fiercely resisting Russian forces in Artyomovsk.

Ukraine sustains big losses in Artyomovsk — newspaper

Ukraine’s armed forces have sustained huge losses in Artyomovsk (known as Bakhmut in Ukraine), despite the fact that several of their best brigades were deployed to the city, Spain’s El Pais reported on Monday.

According to the newspaper, on Friday Ukrainian troops blew up two small bridges linking the only Ukraine-controlled access road to Artyomovsk and erected a floating bridge instead. The newspaper also reported that several small groups of Ukrainian soldiers arrived in the city as reinforcements.

Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that the Ukrainian military admits that several of its best-trained army units have been destroyed near Artyomovsk in recent months. Although data on Ukraine’s losses are classified, some officers acknowledge the losses on condition of anonymity.

Artyomovsk, a major transport hub used as a logistics center for the Ukrainian army in Donbass, is located in the Kiev-controlled part of the Donetsk People’s Republic. Fierce fighting continues for control of the city. Acting head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Denis Pushilin said on February 16 that Russian forces had taken control of the high ground around Artyomovsk.

📹 Russian Airborne Troops' artillery units in combat action as part of the special military operation (video by Russia's MoD)

120mm 2S9 Nona self-propelled gun crews eliminate AFU manpower and fighting vehicles in all directions.

Reconnaissance units detected a Ukrainian nationalists' platoon strongpoint. Its coordinates were rapidly transmitted to the artillery command post.

The Nona self-propelled gun crews redeployed to their firing positions, neutralized the strongpoints, and eliminated the enemy manpower.

Russian MoD briefing on the progress of the special military operation, March 5, in Ukraine:

▪️Russian troops destroyed up to 180 Ukrainian soldiers near Krasny Liman during the day;

▪️In the DPR, the Russian Armed Forces destroyed over 210 military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;

▪️In the Kharkov region, Russian troops eliminated up to 40 Ukrainian soldiers;

▪️The Russian Armed Forces destroyed the control posts of Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and electronic warfare equipment in the Avdeevka area;

▪️Losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the DPR and Zaporozhye region per day amounted to 80 troops;

▪️Russian troops destroyed ammunition depots of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of Tonenkoe and Avdeevka in the DPR;

▪️The Russian Armed Forces hit the command post of the nationalist "Azov" regiment (recognized as a terrorist organization and banned in Russia) in the Zaporozhye region;

▪️Russian troops hit the command and observation posts of units of the brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the territorial defense in the DPR and Zaporozhye region;

▪️In the Zaporozhye region, the Russian Armed Forces destroyed the warehouse of rocket and artillery weapons of the 110th Brigade of Territorial Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;

▪️Russian air defense systems destroyed 12 UAVs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in a day.

Russian MoD briefing on the progress of the special military operation, March 6, in Ukraine:

▪️The Russian Army eliminated up to 45 Ukrainian soldiers, two armored combat vehicles and three pickups close to Kupyansk;

▪️Russian troops destroyed up to 160 Ukrainian soldiers, one tank, three infantry fighting vehicles, five armored fighting vehicles, three other vehicles and a Grad multiple rocket launcher system close to Krasny Liman;

▪️In Donetsk region, the Russian Armed Forces destroyed up to 225 Ukrainian troops, five infantry fighting vehicles, nine armored fighting vehicles, five pickups, four other vehicles, a Uragan MLRS rocket and a D-30 howitzer. In addition, an ordnance depot and US-manufactured AN/TPQ-37 counterbattery warfare radar was destroyed;

▪️Russian artillery neutralized up to 65 Ukrainian personnel, two armored fighting vehicles, two pickups, as well as the fighting vehicles equipped with Uragan and Grad MLRS in South Donetsk and Zaporozhye direction;

▪️In Kherson direction, Russian troops destroyed three armored fighting vehicles, eight motor vehicles, and an Akatsiya self-propelled howitzer;

▪️A self-propelled launching ramp of Ukrainian Buk-M1 air defense missile system was destroyed in the Donetsk People's Republic. In addition, a guidance radar of the Ukrainian S-300 air defense missile system was destroyed near Andreyevka in DPR;

▪️A US-manufactured AN/TPQ-37 counterbattery warfare radar was destroyed in Zaporozhye direction;

▪️Russian Aerospace Forces has shot down a Su-27 airplane of Ukrainian Air Force in Zaporozhye region. In addition, one Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter has been shot down in the DPR;

▪️Russian air defense facilities shot down a MiG-29 airplane of the Ukrainian Air Force in the DPR;

▪️Russian troops destroyed 15 rocket-propelled projectiles, launched by HIMARS and Uragan MLRS, as well as nine unmanned aerial vehicles in Kharkov region in the LPR, in DPR, Zaporozhye and Sumy regions.