Kyiv: 500 Russian soldiers dead or wounded in artillery attack in Kherson region

Kyiv reported on Tuesday that its troops killed and injured around 500 Russian soldiers in an artillery attack in the Kherson region in southern Ukraine.

"The enemy's losses amount to 500 dead and wounded," the Ukrainian General Staff said in its situation report of the attack near the village of Chulakivka, in which its troops had targeted Russian soldiers and military equipment.

The attack took place on New Year's Eve.

The military's figures could not be independently verified. Both parties in the war frequently speak of high casualties on the opposing side.

The general staff further said that Russian units in the village of Fedorivka were also hit one day later. The number of casualties is still unclear.

Fedorivka and Chulakivka are both located on the south-eastern side of the Dnieper River in the Russian-occupied part of Kherson region.

News of the blasts comes after Kiev reported Monday that a further attack on New Year's Eve killed hundreds of Russian soldiers in a temporary shelter in the town of Makiyivka in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.

Officially, the Russian defence ministry admitted to the death of 63 recruits. Kiev, however, said around 400 were dead and 300 injured in the attack. Russian military bloggers also spoke of several hundred casualties.

According to media reports, those killed were reservists called up during Moscow's partial mobilization. They are said to have gathered in the building for a new year's celebration.

Meanwhile a British analysis of fighting in eastern Ukraine said Russian military and Wagner proxy forces appeared to have increased the frequency of their infantry assaults around the Donetsk town of Bakhmut in mid-December.

However, many of these operations were poorly supported, British Defence Ministry analysts noted in their daily update.

Over the last 10 days, Ukraine has committed significant reinforcements to defend its territory and the frequency of Russian assaults have likely reduced from their peak in mid-December, they said, adding that both sides have suffered high casualties.

Russian offensive operations in the area are now likely being conducted at only platoon or section level, the analysts said. It is unlikely Russia will achieve a significant breakthrough near Bakhmut in the coming weeks, they added.

Bakhmut is a small city in eastern Ukraine that has been the scene of fierce battles for months.

Russian forces have been relentlessly trying to capture Bakhmut, which has become a symbolic prize for Moscow even though analysts say it has only modest strategic value.