Photo: Konstantyn amd Vlada Liberov

Andrey Ilyenko, an officer of the Svoboda battalion, said that Russia had thrown all combat-ready units of its army into the Bakhmut direction.

On the air of the Espresso TV channel, he added that the invaders at the front were suffering significant losses.

“The Russians have received too many defeats in recent months. They lost the battle in the Kharkiv region, the Kherson region. They need at least some kind of rehabilitation; they need revenge. At least somewhere, they must show that they can attack. Bakhmut was chosen by the occupiers precisely for these reasons. All combat-ready units of the Russian army have now been deployed to Bakhmut. There are many battles, shelling, and assaults, but the Ukrainian defense is strong. We attack the enemy, and the enemy will suffer heavy losses," Ilyenko stressed.

According to the officer, the Armed Forces firmly hold the defense in the Bakhmut direction, but this is a difficult, exhausting, and hellish job.

"The Ukrainian fortress of Bakhmut stands firmly; there is no threat of encirclement. This battle has been going on for several months, and the last weeks are the culmination of this battle," he summed up.