Ukrainian Armed Forces Capture Fighters From Veteran PMC Near Bakhmut

The Russian Federation's defence has been crushed on its northern and southern flanks.

Active hostilities are now taking place in the eastern sector of the front. The Ukrainian Defence Forces are successfully destroying their enemies and gradually moving forward.

The Speaker of the Eastern Department of the Armed Forces, Serhiy Cherevatiy, said this on the air of a TV marathon. According to him, the initiative on the Bakhmut direction belongs to the Defence Forces, the Ukrainian soldiers continue to press the enemy on the northern and southern flanks, Channel 24 reports.

Cherevatiy informed that during the current day the enemy shelled AFU positions 309 times using rocket-propelled artillery, there were 15 attacks and two air raids. In half a day alone, our defenders destroyed 111 invaders, 187 were wounded, and another 9 enemies were taken prisoner.

Actually, the speaker noted that these captives were mercenaries of the Veteran PMC. Cherevaty announced a video of the interrogation of the captured "veterans" on Oleksandr Syrsky's telegram channel.

"You will see what kind of public segment they represent," the AFU representative said.

In general, during these 24 hours the AFU destroyed:

6 enemy guns,

a self-propelled Gvozdika artillery system,

an electronic warfare station,

2 observation command posts,

3 unmanned aerial vehicle control stations,

1 anti-tank missile system.

Private Companies Fighting in Bakhmut Direction

Cherevatiy said that apart from the Veteran PMC, the Patriot and Fakel PMCs are also fighting in the Bakhmut direction. According to him, all of them are already affiliated with the Russian Defence Ministry.

"They] will not be able to conduct strategic offensive operations with such personnel (of private military companies - ed.). Unfortunately, the only thing they can use is their masses. That's what's holding back the Defence Forces from even faster action," Cherevatiy concluded.