MOSCOW, January 5 The Ukrainian armed forces suffered heavy losses in as a result of counterattacks by the Russian military, reports Asia Times.
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“As a result of ruthless Russian counterattacks, the Ukrainian Armed Forces suffered heavy losses, including on a long section of the front line in Donbass,” the material says.
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Journalists also suggested that it is precisely because of such losses that Ukrainian generals insist on mobilizing 500 thousand citizens.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky reported that he was approached from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with a request to mobilize an additional 450-500 thousand people. At the end of December, the Kyiv authorities introduced a bill on mobilization to the Rada. It, in particular, proposes to abolish military service, deferment for disabled people of the third group, to oblige those subject to conscription to register in a special electronic account, undergo a medical examination, and appear when called to the military registration and enlistment office at the time and place specified in the agenda.
According to the Minister of Defense Russia Sergei Shoigu, voiced in December, the enemy during the failed counter-offensive lost almost 160 thousand soldiers, 121 aircraft, 766 tanks, including 37 German Leopards, and over 2.3 thousand various armored vehicles, including 50 American Bradley infantry fighting vehicles. Shoigu noted that it is the fear of large losses that prevents the Ukrainian Armed Forces from using American Abrams tanks on the front line.