The death toll in the war between Russia and Ukraine has now reached more than 6,500 while injuries topped 10,000 as fighting between the two sides continues, according to data from the United Nations.
In a statement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that fierce battles were ongoing along the front line. He noted that the most intense of these were found in Donetsk, but argued that the wintry weather has forced a change in tactics used by Russian military personnel.
Ukraine Civilian Death Toll Surges
Despite the number of ground offensives going down amid the worsening weather, Zelensky noted in his nightly address that the number of Russian shelling occasions remained high. The Ukrainian leader said that in the region next to Donetsk, Luhansk, his military forces were slowly advancing and gaining ground.
However, he said that there have been nearly 400 cases of shelling in the eastern region on Sunday alone. On Monday, Britain's Ministry of Defense said that they believe that an area of Luhansk has most likely turned into a much more vulnerable operational flank of the Russian force, as per CNBC.
On the same day, United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that Ukraine was in a good position to keep fighting against Russia's military troops through the winter season. He added that the former's troops were also in a better state than the latter's forces.
In a statement during a press conference, Austin said they have done a lot of preparation to assist the Ukrainian people in being ready for the winter season. The US official added that they helped them to be able to continue to keep pressure on adversaries throughout the winter months.
According to the New York Times, the situation comes after the Kremlin announced in April that its military priority was to capture the entirety of Donetsk and the neighboring region of Luhansk. Together, the two regions are known as the Donbas. Moscow could, by July, claim to have captured the last city in Luhansk.
Russia-Ukraine Ongoing Conflict
Following Ukraine's success in retaking Kherson, officials have pressed counteroffensive efforts in Luhansk even amid the approaching winter weather. However, battles over villages and roads outside the Russian-held cities of Svatove and Kreminna have slowed in recent weeks. Military experts noted that both sides have started to change their strategies in relation to the weather.
There were also some military analysts who said that the reclamation of Kherson could allow Ukraine to shift forces to other regions as well as artillery east to Luhansk and Donetsk. On Friday, Britain's defense intelligence agency said that Russia is most likely going to try to redeploy some of the troops it pulled out of Kherson to reinforce its operations near the town of Bakhmut in Donetsk.
The numbers come as the United States estimated that the total death toll from both sides, including civilians and military personnel, is roughly 200,000. The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley also suggested that roughly 40,000 civilians have died as collateral damage, BBC reported.
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