Close Putin ally says 23 soldiers died in Ukrainian shelling attack

FILE PHOTO: Re-elected head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov attends an inauguration ceremony in Grozny, Russia October 5, 2021. REUTERS/Chingis Kondarov/

(Reuters) - Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Thursday said 23 of his soldiers had been killed and another 58 wounded in a Ukrainian artillery attack this week.

Kadyrov's comments were unusual, given that pro-Moscow forces have rarely admitted to major battlefield losses since the war started. In a statement on Telegram, Kadyrov said the incident had taken place in the southern Kherson region.