Russian military burn their dead near Melitopol – Ukraine’s Defense Ministry

This was reported by Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Hanna Maliar.

"Now there are active hostilities everywhere on the frontlines. A lot of enemy fighters are dying. The command of the Russian occupying forces is trying to conceal the real losses of personnel and carry out burials in the temporarily occupied territories without transporting the remains to Russia," Maliar said.

Near the temporarily occupied city of Melitopol in the Zaporizhzhia region, Russian forces are cremating the bodies of their soldiers in the open almost continuously. According to the deputy minister, the dead are delivered by trucks.

Civilians have been exposed to the distinctive acrid smoke for an extended period, causing them significant discomfort and distress.

In addition, Russian troops bring the dead from the Kherson direction to the morgue of the Chaplynka district hospital. The bodies are buried at two locations, one of which has an area of up to 100 hectares.

• The UK Ministry of Defense said that at least half of the 30,000 paratroopers Russia sent to fight in Ukraine in 2022 were killed or wounded in the fighting.

• The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that on August 9, Russia lost 580 soldiers, 16 tanks, and a helicopter.