PMC Wagner fighter reveals Ukraine's losses in Soledar

Anton Elizarov, a PMC Wagner fighter, a hero of Russia, DPR and LPR revealed the losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Soledar.

Elizarov, who commanded the operation to storm the city, said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost six to seven times more manpower than the attacking side.

The Russian troops took control of Soledar on January 12, 2023.

Shortly after the Russian forces established control over Soledar, Elizarov (call sign Lotos) reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost about 300 soldiers killed, and even more Ukrainian soldiers were taken prisoner during the assault.

"The situation is already calm here, the city is relatively safe, the only danger is artillery shelling that occur periodically,” the fighter said.

According to him, the assault took place like any other operation since Wagner fighters are very familiar with urban battles.

"This is what we are known for best. Even though the enemy was clinging to every house and street, our fighters were knocking them out,” he said.

The presence of civilians in the basements, as well as solid buildings in the centre were the biggest problem, the military man added.

On February 5, former Pentagon adviser Colonel Douglas McGregor said that during a visit to the United States, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny secretly informed representatives of the department about Kyiv's losses since the start of the conflict in Ukraine. According to McGregor, Zaluzhny told the US military that Ukraine had lost about 257,000 people.