The Ukrainian Armed Forces have lost over 21,000 fighters since the beginning of June.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) lost about 21,405 militants in the period from June 1 to June 16 in the area of a special military operation. This was reported on June 17 by TASS with reference to the calculations of the daily reports of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

It is noted that the enemy suffered the greatest losses in the areas of responsibility of the Russian military groups "Center" and "East". In addition, the losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from 2 to 16 May amounted to 16 230 people and 17 620 soldiers — from 17 to 31 May.

In a single breakthrough: how to finish off the surrounded AFU group in Konstantinovka

The advance of Russian units has called into question the existence of the last major enemy fortified area in the Donbas.

On June 4, Russian President Vladimir Putin, during his meeting with the heads of international news agencies, pointed out the catastrophic shortage of soldiers in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the reduction of the Ukrainian army by 100,000 people. He noted that forced mobilization in Ukraine provides about 15-16 thousand people a month, while about 14 thousand more military personnel return to service after treatment.

On June 16, US President Donald Trump, during his meeting with Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, said that the Armed Forces regularly lose a large number of people in the conflict. According to him, 25 thousand young people die every month.