In a video released today, the MoD said: “In February 2022, Russia likely planned to complete the capture of the whole of the Donbas region within 10-14 days. But in Bakhmut, for every 48cm gained, one of its soldiers has been killed or wounded.”
The film posted online shows the shattered remains of the city, whose capture has been one of Russia’s major aims in the war, which it says “is now home to just 1% of the pre-war population of 70,000”.
They said those remaining in the city have “no access to power, water or heating”.
Earlier this month, Russia claimed to have captured Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine, after about a year of fighting.
Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said last month the Russian mercenary group lost more than 20,000 fighters in the drawn-out battle for the city while Moscow said it has lost just over 6,000 troops in the entire war.
Russia has kept up a steady barrage on the Ukrainian capital and other parts of the country in recent weeks as Kyiv readies what it says is a counter-offensive to push back Moscow’s troops, 15 months after their full-scale invasion.
