The Russian military has suffered 100,000 casualties, including more than 20,000 dead, in the past five months fighting Ukrainian forces in the Bakhmut region, the White House said today, citing US intelligence estimates.

The fighting in the war in Ukraine has recently focused on the eastern part of the country, with the control of the Donbass industrial region at stake, especially in the city of Bakhmut, which has been almost completely destroyed. Hostilities in this city, where both sides are suffering heavy losses, have been raging since the summer of 2022. The warring parties’ announcements about the course of the fighting there are impossible to independently verify.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters today that the figure of 100,000 Russian casualties was based on US intelligence estimates. These losses include more than 20,000 dead, half of them from Wagner’s private mercenary group.

“Russia’s attempt at a Donbas attack primarily through Bakhmut has failed,” Kirby claimed. “Russia didn’t manage to capture any really important strategic ground,” he added.

The Russians, he said, had made some territorial gains in Bakhmut, but that those gains had come at a “terrible cost,” saying that Ukrainian defenses in the area remained strong.

“Russia has depleted its military reserves and armed forces, and since December alone we estimate that Russia has suffered more than 100,000 casualties, including over 20,000 killed in action, almost half of whom were Wagner soldiers,” the American official emphasized.

“These numbers are truly shocking,” Kirby added, saying the total is three times the number of American casualties at the Battle of Guadalcanal in World War II.

The White House national security spokesman concluded by saying that another US arms package to Ukraine will be announced soon.