The Russian army lost an astonishing 73 pieces of military equipment while trying – and failing – to cross a river in Ukraine.
This is the claim military analysts have been making since this drone footage – obtained by Zenger News from the 58th Independent Motorized Infantry Brigade (a formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces) on Thursday, May 12 – emerged.
The Russian Armed Forces allegedly lost 73 pieces of equipment – including tanks and infantry fighting vehicles – while attempting to build pontoon bridges across the Seversky Donets river near the village of Bilohorivka in Luhansk Oblast.
Russian troops were picked off by Ukrainian forces as they tried to make the crossing with their equipment, which was similarly targeted.
Two battalions of infantry with engineers were allegedly wiped out, according to independent analysts.
They had allegedly been trying to cross the river for four days.
This information was later confirmed by the Luhansk Regional Military Administration head Serhii Haidai, who confirmed that “dozens” of troops had been killed and “about 70 units” of equipment destroyed.
The 58th Independent Motorized Infantry Brigade said (in Ukrainian): “The result of joint work of Vyhovsky [58th Independent Motorized Infantry Brigade] with other units of law enforcement agencies on the enemy crossing of the Seversky Donets River.
“Welcome to hell.”
From February 24 to May 13, the total combat losses of Russian troops stand at around 26,900 personnel, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian military also claims that Russia has lost 1,205 tanks, 2,900 armored fighting vehicles, 542 artillery systems, 193 multiple launch rocket systems, 88 anti-aircraft systems, 200 warplanes, 162 helicopters, 2,042 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, 13 vessels, 405 unmanned aerial vehicles, 41 units of special equipment and 95 cruise missiles.
The Ukrainian military said Russia’s biggest losses on May 12 were sustained in the Kurakhiv area.
The update comes as UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss says Russian President Vladimir Putin is “humiliating himself on the world stage”.
She called for tougher sanctions on Russia and said they should not be relaxed until the last Russian troop departs Ukraine.
Meanwhile, in a first, a Russian soldier will stand trial today for the war crime of killing an unarmed Ukrainian civilian.
And Russia is expected to up its bombardment of the Azovstal steelworks now that all civilians have been evacuated from there, say the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The metallurgical plant is the last area of the strategic port city of Mariupol not under Russian control.
The invasion is in its 79th day as of Friday, May 13.
