Two Russian commanders killed in Ukraine fighting, Defense Ministry says
The Russian officers were killed in a mortar attack while on a "reconnaissance mission," the ministry said in a statement.
CNN
The Russian Defense Ministry announced Sunday that two senior Russian military officials were killed in eastern Ukraine. This is the latest in a series of high-profile losses suffered by Moscow in its war against its western neighbor.
The ministry stated that the two officers, Col. Vyacheslav Makarova and Col. Yevgeny Brkovko, were killed in action as they led Russian troops in Donetsk. The ministry did not say when or where the officers were killed.
A Russian Defense Ministry press release stated that 'the commander of the 4th Motorized Rifle Brigade, Colonel Vyacheslav Makarova, was at the front and personally led the battle'.
Brovko was the deputy commander for the military-political division of the army. He led troops to'repel enemy attacks', and he 'died heroically after suffering multiple shrapnel injuries', according to the ministry.
Bakhmut is located in the Donetsk region, Ukraine. It has been the scene of some of the most intense and relentless battles of the war.
The Russian assault, which included Wagner mercenaries and displaced thousands of people, left the region devastated. The Russians have poured in a lot of manpower to capture the city but they are still unable take control. In the last week, the area has suffered heavy losses.
Hanna Maliar, Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister, said in a Telegram message on Sunday that Ukrainian forces had been able capture more than ten Russian positions near Bakhmut.
Maliar described the situation as'very hot' in Bakhmut.
The Ukrainian military announced on Sunday that Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine remains the "epicenter" of fighting
The enemy is continuing to concentrate its efforts in the directions of Lyman, Bakhmut Avdiivka, and Maryinka. The military said that in total, 30 combat engagements occurred over the past day.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that Ukraine made "massive efforts to break through our defense to the north and to the south of Artemovsk," referring to Bakhmut under its Russian name.
All attacks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been repulsed. The statement stated that there had been no breakthroughs in the defense against Russian forces.
In the last few days, missiles have also been used to strike Russian targets in eastern Ukraine's occupied city of Luhansk.
Since the beginning of the war, this city has been a major hub for Russia’s invasion efforts and is rarely attacked by Ukrainian forces.
Two missiles were reported to have hit the area on Saturday, and a third explosion was also reported on Friday.
Several Russian bloggers have claimed that Ukraine has used cruise missiles provided by the United Kingdom, but without proving it. Kyiv has also Ukrainian-made Grom rockets that can reach Luhansk.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that Russia could have shot down four military aircraft over its territory on Saturday. If true, this would be a major coup for Ukraine.
According to a Russian media outlet, at least two combat aircraft -- a Su-34 fighter/bomber (and an Su-35 fighter) and two Mi-8 helicopters -- and crashed.
According to reports, the aircraft was lost near the Ukrainian border in the Russian region Bryansk.
Multiple crashes on Russian soil at the same would be unprecedented. Analysts believe that the Ukrainian air defenses have advanced because Russian aircraft are using more glide munitions, which can shoot at targets far away.