MOSCOW: Russian officials said on Sunday that two of its army commanders were killed in combat in the frontline hotspot of Bakhmut in eastern part of Ukraine.
According to AFP, in an unusual announcement of its losses on the war, the Russian ministry of defense said the deputy commander of the Army Corps for military-political work, Yevgeny Brovko, and the commander of the 4th Rifle Brigade, Makarov were killed in fighting in Ukraine.
Two Russian Military Commander Killed in Ukraine: Moscow
The defense ministry said that Colonel Makarov was killed as his contingent resisted attacks by Ukrainian forces south of the settlement of Krasne. It added, “Two assaults of the enemy have also been repelled. As a 3rd attack was being repelled, the commander was seriously injured and died during the evacuation from the battleground.”
The statement added, “ Brovko was killed as Russian forces repelled attacks in the region, and died heroically, having received several shrapnel wounds”.
Referring to the mercenary group Wagner, Russia said that “assault detachments” have continued to fight for the control of western areas of Bakhmut. “The enemy has made huge attempts to breakdown through the defense of our forces to the north and south of Artemovsk,” the Russian Defense ministry said. “All attacks of the Ukrainian forces have been prevented,” it added. The announcement came as fighting raged for control of Bakhmut in the eastern area of Donetsk.
Moscow has kept a close-fitting lid on its losses in Ukraine. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in 2022 that 5,937 Russian personnel had been killed in Ukraine, even though military analysts say Russia has sought to hide the scale of its losses in the country.
