Ukraine's airforce carried out a "devastating strike" on a Russian command post in Bakhmut. The command post belonged to the 6th Motorised Rifle Division that is fighting in the Pokrovsk sector.

Intense fighting has raged for months on the eastern front, as Russian forces desperately try to capture Pokrovsk. The city is a key transport and logistical hub for Ukraine's army, the capture of which would be a major setback for Kyiv.

Last year, Putin's army made substantial advances towards the easter city but fierce Ukrainian resistance over the winter has frustrated Russian efforts to seize it.

Ukraine's airforce confirmed the destruction of the command post in a post to its Telegram channel.

"It has been confirmed that, in recent days, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine conducted a devastating strike on the command post of the 6th Motorized Rifle Division of the enemy in Bakhmut, temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk Oblast," they wrote.

"As a result of the strike, the ability of the Russian occupation forces to command and control operations in the Pokrovsk sector has been significantly degraded.

"Enemy casualty figures are being clarified."

They added that Ukraine's army continues to repel Russian attacks and inflict significant casualties on Putin's forces.

Russia is reportedly suffering an average of 150 casualties per day in the Pokrovsk direction, according to senior Ukrainian military communications officer.

He said that Russia recently reinforced its units in the sector with redeployments from the Kursk direction and newly recruited troops.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the US estimates Russia is recruiting around 30,000 new troops each month, up from about 25,000 last summer.

Some Eastern European intelligence officials say the ranks are now swelling by as much as 40,000 soldiers a month.

The extra manpower has allowed the military to rotate new troops in and out of Ukraine, and to build new units trained and housed in Russia, according to some European intelligence assessments.

It comes as the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said 956,810 Russian troops have died in Ukraine since February 2022.