Russian Defense Ministry Reports Death of 450 Ukrainian Soldiers in Bakhmut Battles

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that assault units from the "Wagner" group continue to fight for control of the center of Bakhmut, pushing the Ukrainian army to the western outskirts of the city. In its daily report issued today, Tuesday, it stated that "units from the airborne forces are providing support to the 'Wagner' factions on the flanks of the attack." It also indicated that "warplanes carried out 11 sorties in the Artemivsk area, while missile and artillery forces conducted 48 firing missions there during the past day." The Russian defense reported that "Kyiv's losses in this sector exceeded 450 Ukrainian soldiers and foreign mercenaries, and included 3 tanks, several armored vehicles, and other vehicles, in addition to D-20 howitzers and 'Msta-B' artillery, as well as two American-made counter-battery radar stations."