The Armed Forces of Ukraine (APU) are losing from 100 to 200 servicemen in the battles for Artemivsk (Ukrainian name — Bakhmut). On March 25, the British newspaper The Sunday Times wrote about this.

According to the publication, significant losses of the Ukrainian army may push Kyiv to leave Artemivsk.

Western analysts believe that the Armed Forces of Ukraine will choose from two options — holding the city at any cost or retreating to Slavyansk and Kramatorsk in order to further deter the Russian offensive.

It is emphasized that fortified positions for defense have already been prepared in these cities, writes Gazeta.Ru.

Earlier on the same day, it became known that Russian forces had completely taken control of the workshops of the Artyomovsk Metal Processing Plant in Artyomovsk, which was visited by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky in December 2022.

In turn, retired US Marine Corps intelligence officer Scott Ritter noted on March 23 that if the Ukrainian troops lose Artemivsk, this will bring the end of both the entire Ukrainian army and Zelensky.