The British Ministry of Defense said today, Saturday, that Russia is spreading misinformation in advertisements it makes about victims of the war in Ukraine.
The ministry added in a tweet that Russia likely lost more than 300 people in a raid on the positions of its forces in Makivka near the Ukrainian city of Donetsk on January 1, and that, according to its estimate, the majority may have been killed or missing, not injured.
Following the raid, the Russian Defense Ministry, in a rare move, acknowledged casualties, “claiming” 89 dead, the ministry said.
She added that the difference between the number of victims recognized by Russia and the likely real number sheds light on the widespread disinformation in Russian public advertisements.
The ministry said this usually occurs through a combination of “deliberate lying” authorized by senior leaders, and inaccurate reporting by junior officials keen to downplay their own failures.
Fierce fights in Aglaida
Russia and Ukraine announced that a fierce battle is shaking the city of Oglidar, which Russian forces are trying to enter in eastern Ukraine.
In turn, the pro-Russian separatist forces confirmed that their units are entrenched on the outskirts of Oglidar, pointing to the presence of Russian forces in the southeast and east of the city.
Changing the balance of power
The separatists asserted that the victory at Oglidar might allow a change in the balance of power on the front by opening the way for an offensive on the towns of Pokrovsk and Korakhovi.
For its part, the Ukrainian army confirmed the ferocity of the battles in Oglidar, but at the same time it underestimated the successes of the Russian forces in the city.
Patrice Paoli, responsible for communication in the Arabic language at the French Foreign Ministry, said in exclusive statements to Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath that his country will continue to support Ukraine and provide military aid to Kiev to help it face the Russian attack on its territory.
Ukraine has two options
Russia is racing against time to gain ground before the arrival of Western tanks in Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal said that Russia has made the city of Bakhmut its direct and main target and has moved deeper towards it.
She added that Ukraine, with the Russian progress, has two options, either to continue the bloody street fighting or to withdraw to preserve the forces.
And about the secret of turning the city of Bakhmut into a major target for Moscow, the newspaper says that Russia is seeking to achieve gains on the battlefield before the arrival of tanks that can make a breakthrough in the Russian lines.
Ukraine’s allies pledged to provide it with dozens of armored vehicles, including main battle tanks that are more powerful than their Russian counterparts.