Commander: Russia has lost over 4,000 soldiers on eastern front over past 2 weeks

Russian forces have lost over 4,000 soldiers and 500 pieces of equipment in fighting on the eastern front in Ukraine's Kharkiv and Donetsk oblasts, Ground Forces Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Nov. 14.

In particular, Russian forces have reportedly been relentlessly attacking around Kupiansk, as well as to the north and south of the ruined city of Bakhmut.

Despite Russian attempts to "seize the initiative" by launching counterattacks, Syrskyi said that Ukrainian defenders from the Khortytsia group have held their ground and inflicted heavy casualties.

Russian forces have increased their use of attack drones, but Syrskyi said that the "enemy is losing its offensive capabilities every day."

Syrskyi said on Nov. 12 that Russia was intensifying its attacks near Bakhmut. The ruins of the city were seized by Russia in May 2023 after almost a year of some of the most intense urban combat since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

Nonetheless, fighting around the city has continued since then, with Russia being unable to consolidate its hold on the city and its surroundings.

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