Statements issued by both Ukraine and Russia stated that hundreds of the forces of the other side had been killed during the past 24 hours in the fight for control of the city of Bakhmut, while President Wagner provided estimates of the military needs of his forces to be victorious in Bakhmut.
A spokesman for the Ukrainian forces in the east of the country, Sergei Chervati, said that 221 of the pro-Moscow forces were killed and more than 300 wounded in Bakhmut, and that the Russian forces and Wagner militia bombed the Bakhmut front and the city center about 157 times.
On the other hand, the Russian Defense Ministry said that up to 210 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the part that represents the broader front line in Donetsk.
Moscow did not specify the extent of the losses in Bakhmut, but the city in eastern Donetsk - which is now almost deserted - has become the site of one of the bloodiest and longest battles in the war that has been going on for more than a year.
Each side admits that it suffered great suffering and losses in Bakhmut, while it is difficult to verify the exact number of dead from independent sources.
Remarks by Wagner Chief
On the other hand, the head of the Russian Wagner Group of mercenaries, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said that the Russian mercenary group needs 10,000 tons of ammunition per month in order to win the battle of Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine.
Prigozhin demanded, during a video clip that was published on Saturday, to hand over artillery shells and ammunition.
The video clip shows the head of the Wagner Group on the roof of a house in the heavily destroyed city, about 1.2 kilometers from the administrative center controlled by Ukrainian forces, and he says, "We will win."
The video showed many destroyed homes and streets, which are relatively rare shots from the city, which was home to about 70,000 people, but there are only a few thousand residents left at the present time.
"The required quantities of ammunition should be delivered without reservations," Wagner's chief said, adding that "Russian billionaires are also ready to cover those expenses," and estimated the monthly costs at about half a billion dollars.
Bakhmut, of strategic importance, has been under dispute since late summer, and each side seeks to control it at any cost.
British intelligence estimates
The latest British intelligence update - yesterday, Saturday - indicated that the Ukrainians were far from restoring Bakhmut.
The report stated that the eastern part of the besieged Ukrainian city of Bakhmut is now largely under the control of the Wagner Group, but the Ukrainian army still controls the western part of the city.
She added that the Pakhmutka River - which flows through the city center - is now the front line.
In the western part of the city - which is controlled by Ukraine - Kiev forces destroyed the main bridges over the river, which runs across a strip of open land between 200 and 800 meters wide, the report said.
"With the ability of Ukrainian units to fire from fortified buildings to the west, this place has become a killing zone, which is likely to pose a severe challenge for Wagner's forces trying to continue their offensive to the west," the report added.
Moscow says that controlling Bakhmut will create a hole in the Ukrainian defenses, and will be a step towards seizing the entire industrial Donbass region, which is a major goal for it.
Tens of thousands have died, millions have been displaced, and many Ukrainian cities and towns have been destroyed since Russia's war in Ukraine began in February last year.
Ukraine urges Germany to send more ammunition
In turn, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged Germany to speed up supplies of ammunition and start training Ukrainian pilots for Western fighter jets.
Kuleba told the German newspaper "Bild am Sonntag" that the lack of ammunition is the "first" problem facing Ukraine to repel what he described as the Russian invasion.
He added that German arms manufacturers told him during the Munich Security Conference last February that they were ready for the delivery process, but were waiting for the government to sign the contracts, and he was quoted as saying, "The problem - then - lies with the government."
Kuleba said he did not expect Ukraine to receive the fighter jets it is ordering from Western allies anytime soon.
But he said - according to the newspaper - that Ukrainian pilots should be trained anyway so that they are ready once that decision is made.
He added that if Germany trained Ukrainian pilots, it would be "a clear message for its political participation".
Military talks between America and Ukraine
In the same context, the Supreme Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valery Zaluzhny, discussed - yesterday, Saturday - with the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, Ukraine's defense needs.
Zalogny said - through his account on the Telegram application - "I had a phone call with the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, and we discussed a number of important topics for us, and I focused on the issue of Ukraine's defense needs."
"We also discussed the supply of ammunition and equipment, and the need to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities," he added.
European sanctions options are running out
On the other hand, in a remarkable statement, the European Union's foreign policy official, Josep Borrell, confirmed that the Union is close to exhausting all options regarding imposing sanctions on Russia.
Borrell said after a meeting of the Union's defense ministers in Stockholm that the Union used all its cards gradually, and perhaps something more than gradual.
He indicated that he should now focus his attention on shifting to providing financial and military support to Ukraine.