Ukraine Loses Hundreds of Soldiers, Equipment, in Border-cross Attempt

By Al Mayadeen English

12 Mar 2024 22:27

The Russian Defense Ministry has revealed that its forces confronted the infiltrating Ukrainian army, incurring heavy losses as they attempted to cross into Russia.

The Russian Defense Ministry revealed on Tuesday that in an attempt to cross Russian borders, the Ukrainian army lost 234 fighters and a substantial amount of military equipment, including seven tanks and three infantry fighting vehicles. 

In a statement, the ministry said "The enemy lost 234 militants killed, seven tanks, three US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, and two armored personnel carriers. There were no violations of the state border," noting that the attack was confronted on all three different directions where Ukraine tried to infiltrate. 

In detail, the Russian ministry said that up to 60 Ukrainian fighters were killed and four pickups were destroyed in the Kharkiv region. Along the Ukrainian border, 100 Ukrainian troops were killed and five military tanks were destroyed. Near Nekhoteevka, in Russian Belgorod, 45 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and two tanks were destroyed. 

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Russia said Tuesday a member of its territorial defence was killed and 10 civilians wounded during a cross-border raid by pro-Ukraine militias in the border region of Belgorod.

"Ten civilians were wounded, six of them are in hospitals... A member of our territorial self-defence died today," Belgorod region governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram.

How fragile are Ukraine's defense lines?

NewsWeek reported on Thursday, citing military sources, that the recent capture of Avdiivka has been followed by the continuous expansion of Russian control along the frontlines.

According to the source, Ukrainian forces are "both outmanned and outgunned along the front." The recent fall of Avdiivka was in part blamed on ammunition shortages.

Since then, Russia's expansion has been "incremental" and will likely increase in the short term as long as aid remains stalled in the West. 

According to the arms-maker-funded Institute for the Study of War, the victory in the battle of Avdiivka has opened new avenues for land control in surrounding areas, and Russian forces are working rapidly to increase their presence along the frontlines before Ukrainian forces rebuild a more cohesive defense line. 

Last week, Dmytro Lykhovyi, spokesman for the Ukrainian Tavriisk Group of Forces, announced that his troops had pulled back from Stepove, approximately eight miles north of Avdiivka. Russian troops, on the other hand, declared control of Tonenke to the south, along with other nearby territories.