Kiev’s troops have suffered an estimated 600 casualties in the attack near the key Donbass city of Kramatorsk
Russian forces have struck Ukrainian troop positions near Kramatorsk, a key city in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), according to a video released Monday by the Defense Ministry in Moscow.
The targets were located in an industrial site in the village of Shablinka, northwest of Kramatorsk, as well as in a nearby forest. The ministry said the strike involved Iskander ballistic missiles, aerial bombs and kamikaze drones.
Footage released by the ministry showed multiple explosions and widespread destruction at the site. Russian officials have estimated that Ukrainian forces sustained more than 600 casualties and lost three tanks, four multiple-launch rocket systems and dozens of other pieces of heavy equipment.
A Telegram channel known for pre-empting official MOD releases last week claimed the strike had devastated Ukraine’s 156th Mechanized Brigade, eliminating two battalion tactical groups.
Kramatorsk, together with the cities of Slavyansk and Konstantinovka, forms a heavily urbanized stronghold in the western part of the DPR that has long been under Ukrainian control. Last month, Kiev-appointed regional head Vadim Filashkin urged civilians to evacuate, estimating that about 53,000 residents remained in Kramatorsk.
Ukraine has downplayed battlefield setbacks over recent months, insisting they are temporary and will not alter the overall course of the conflict.
On the country’s Independence Day on Sunday, Vladimir Zelensky claimed Kiev’s Western backers assert that “Ukraine has not yet won, but is certainly not losing.” He added that compromising with Russia would be dishonorable and unacceptable.
Moscow has accused Zelensky of prolonging the conflict in order to further his personal political goals instead of pursuing a negotiated settlement.
