Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the intense combat in parts of Donetsk region "the epicenter of the biggest madness of the occupiers."

Then speaking in Russian, Zelensky said that some soldiers in the Pavlivka area had complained to the governor of their region, Primorsky Krai, in the Russian Far East, as CNN reported earlier Monday. 

In response, Zelensky added, the governor — Oleg Kozhemyako — had said that the losses were "not that big."

In a Telegram post Monday, Kozhemyako said, "We contacted our Marine commanders on the front lines. These are guys who have been in combat since the beginning of the operation."

He said they had told him, "We are attacking hard, yes there are losses, but far from that."

Kozhemyako said the combat commander had emphasized that the losses of the [Primorsky] troops were considerably exaggerated.