Russian army took control of DPR's Krasna Gora: MoD
The Russian Ministry of Defense says its forces have taken over Krasna Gora of the Donetsk area, with Kiev sustaining heavy losses.
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A Ukrainian tank rides to its position in the frontline in Bakhmut, Donetsk, February 12, 2023 (AP Photo)
The Russian armed forces have taken control of the village of Krasna Gora, which is located near the key city of Bakhmut, in the Donetsk People's Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday, noting that the Ukrainian armed forces sustained heavy losses on the day the operation took place.
"In the Donetsk direction, volunteer assault squads with the fire support of rocket troops and artillery of the Southern group of forces liberated the village of Krasna Hora of the Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry said in a report.
"The enemy's losses during the day amounted to over 150 Ukrainian servicemen, four armored combat vehicles, six pickup trucks, and two D-30 howitzers," the report read further.
Wagner from Krasna Gora pic.twitter.com/XC38GMMq3M
— ZOKA (@200_zoka) February 13, 2023
The head of the Wagner Group private military company assisting Russian efforts in Ukraine, Yevgeny Prigozhin, first announced the troops taking control of the village of Krasna Gora.
Russia has been making a lot of progress on its Western front, especially in the Donetsk area. Moscow said earlier in February that its artillery destroyed two US missile launchers near the city of Kramatorsk.
Prigozhin announced that the town of Mykolaivka in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) had been taken under control.
Latest military situation around #Bakhmut on 12/2/23. #Ukraine
— Military Advisor (@miladvisor) February 12, 2023
Wagner forces took control of Krasna Hora/Krasnaya Gora settlement. pic.twitter.com/WK4PgMkHuY
A Telegram channel cited Prigozhin declaring that "during the fighting, units of the Wagner PMC captured the settlement of Mykolaivka."
Western media have been speaking about the battle of Bakhmut for months now, in which Kiev's allies fear that Russian control over it will be key to the collapse of the entire front in the hands of the Russian forces during the harsh winter, while Russian sources confirm that the Ukrainian forces and mercenaries are suffering heavy losses in lives and equipment.
A senior US official said in late January that Ukraine should not solely focus on defending Bakhmut at all costs and should instead use the window it has been given to prepare a major counter-offensive against Russia.
Russian forces continue to advance in Bakhmut toward the densely populated areas of the city after they succeeded more than a month ago in tightening their siege on the Ukrainian forces present there, while they continue to bombard their positions with missiles and artillery.
Meanwhile, a senior Biden administration said the focus on Bakhmut was hampering Ukraine when it comes to preparing for a counteroffensive against Russia in a bid to undermine the advances made so far by Russia in the south.
The Ukrainians need to consider the trade-off of holding onto Bakhmut versus preparing that broader strategic effort, the official said. Ukrainians may not have the resources to meet both challenges, he added.
