LUGANSK, April 1. /TASS/. In March, the Ukrainian armed forces suffered devastating losses exceeding 35,000 soldiers, including foreign mercenaries. According to military analyst Andrey Marochko, the most significant damage was inflicted by the Russian Battlegroup Center.

"The enemy's medical and irreparable losses in manpower in March totalled 35,265 Ukrainian fighters and mercenaries - an increase of 690 compared to the previous period," Marochko stated during a live broadcast on his VKontakte page, citing data from the Russian Ministry of Defense. "In the area of responsibility of Battlegroup West, enemy losses exceeded 5,095 servicemen; of the Battlegroup South, 4,600; of the Battlegroup Center, more than 9,270; of the Battlegroup East, 8,280; and of the Battlegroup Dnepr, approximately 1,580 soldiers and mercenaries."

Marochko attributed the heavy losses in the Battlegroup Center’s area of responsbility to Kiev's ongoing "massive assaults" in that sector. "The Ukrainian command has clearly received orders to push our troops out of Vladimir Zelensky's native Dnipropetrovsk Region, even at the cost of mobilizing its citizens. Since winter, this offensive has been ongoing, but our resilient troops have managed to thwart these efforts. They are currently enduring a particularly difficult phase," he explained.

Furthermore, Marochko reported that in March, Kiev lost a Su-27 aircraft, an Mi-8 helicopter, over 10,500 drones, more than 2,800 various vehicles - including tanks, an anti-aircraft missile system, and 12 multiple launch rocket systems - as well as 463 field artillery pieces and mortars. Additionally, Ukrainian forces suffered the loss of 211 electronic and counter-battery warfare stations, along with 552 ammunition, fuel, and supply depots within the zone of the special operation.