Kyiv: Russian soldiers are dying in “greater numbers in Ukraine this month than at any time” since the first week of the invasion, according to Ukrainian data.

The Ukrainian data shows 824 Russian soldiers dying per day in February. The figures were highlighted by the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD). The figures cannot be verified – but the UK says the trends are “likely accurate”, BBC reported. The increase comes amid talk of a spring offensive by Russian forces in the east of the country.

Last week, Ukraine’s outgoing defence minister, Oleksiy Reznikov, said they were anticipating a new Russian offensive around 24 February – the anniversary of the full-scale invasion.

But some local politicians, including the governors of Luhansk and Donetsk, claimed the offensive had already begun, the media outlet reported.

Some of the fiercest fighting has been around Bakhmut in the east of the country.

On Sunday, the head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary force said the group had seized a settlement near the devastated city.

Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Telegram: “Today, the settlement of Krasna Hora was taken by assault detachments of the Wagner PMC.”