Pro-Russian report: 1,200 Ukrainian casualties in Bakhmut in 10 days

Bakhmut records 1,200 Ukrainian casualties in ten days of siege

Between December 15 and 26, Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut — known as Artemovsk in Russian nomenclature — reportedly suffered around 1,200 casualties, including dead and seriously wounded, according to the Military Chronicle channel. This unverified figure describes sustained pressure on brigades holding the urban perimeter as reserves dwindle faster than replacements arrive. Some argue the city may not be strategically worth the cost of its defense.

Which brigades bear the heaviest losses in Bakhmut

The unit breakdown is the report’s most concrete element. The reconnaissance company of the 24th Brigade, motorized infantry battalions 34 and 17 of the 57th Brigade, and territorial defense battalions 9, 10, and 11 of the 59th Brigade appear most affected. The 59th Brigade reportedly lost nearly 185 dead and wounded in just three days, from December 23 to 26, with its reconnaissance company and a self-propelled 122mm Gvozdika howitzer division practically destroyed.

The report’s pattern is consistent: reinforcements arrive at positions already spotted and partially shelled by artillery, only to face concentrated fire. Ukrainian artillery has also lost response capacity after a AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder counter-battery radar and a Starlink terminal were destroyed in the Ivanovsky area, forcing command structures to use slower, alternative communication systems. Without this radar, French TRF1 155mm howitzers deployed in the sector temporarily lost fire intelligence, occasionally firing on their own positions.

The cost of defending a city with no strategic value

The underlying question is why Bakhmut is defended at such high sacrifice. Some view it as a political rather than military decision: holding the city avoids a symbolic defeat and pins down Russian troops in a specific sector. Conversely, resistance consumes reserves needed further south, while defensive lines inside the city are being prepared manually with limited engineering resources for a potential collapse of the outer perimeter.

Comparisons with other attrition battles do not resolve the debate. Some claim Russian losses are proportionally higher; others argue the ratio has inverted, with Ukrainian brigades being depleted. The figure of over 1,000 casualties in ten days suggests the latter view gains weight.

The ninth mobilization and casualty arithmetic

A recurring element is Kiev’s ninth mobilization wave. For some analysts, this figure only makes sense if accumulated casualties exceed 300,000 personnel, fitting a one-to-eight ratio with estimated Russian losses of 35,000–40,000. For others, the mobilization aims to rotate exhausted units and cover a front of over 1,000 kilometers, not just address heavy losses in one sector.

The debate quickly shifted to propaganda. Some accuse the report of being part of Russian information machinery; others counter that Western media also silence Ukrainian losses. Amid this exchange, both sides seem to agree that Bakhmut has become a meat grinder for defenders and attackers alike.

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What remains unclear is whether Ukrainian reserves can sustain the attrition rate until the city loses military significance. No one has set a date for collapse, and this absence of a timeline may be the most eloquent fact of all.