British newspaper reports heavy losses for Ukrainian army in Donbass
The Economist (UK) said that the Ukrainian army suffered heavy losses in Donbass, and is at risk of losing everything.
According to TASS news agency and The Economist magazine (UK), the Ukrainian army in Donbass is suffering heavy losses from the attack of the Russian Armed Forces.
A soldier named Yuri from the 59th Brigade, fighting on the Donetsk front, told The Economist of “significant losses” on the part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The soldier said the Ukrainian command had sent reinforcements to support his brigade, but they included inexperienced infantrymen from the 71st Brigade – who were quickly defeated.
“In three days, the 100-man force became zero. Some ran away, some fell,” said the 59th Brigade soldier.
According to the Economist, the Russian Armed Forces maintain an artillery advantage over the Ukrainian army in this direction with a ratio of 3:1 to 10:1.
“They know that we will not counterattack, because we do not have the people to do so. So they are gradually moving forward where they can,” said officer Andrei of the 79th Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Andrei's comrade Alexander said the 79th Brigade lost more men in 2024 than it had in the previous 18 months. The commander of the mortar battery of the 21st Battalion of the separate brigade, Mike Temper, also pointed to the Ukrainian Armed Forces using their "number advantage" to identify gaps in Ukraine's defenses.
In a report on the afternoon of September 8, the General Staff of the Ukrainian army described the situation as "tense" across the Pokrovsk region, saying that "fierce battles" had taken place in areas around several cities, including Novohrodivka.
