Ukrainian army leaders touted good fortune Sunday in Bakhmut after months of bloody fighting with Russia over the city in Dontesk Oblast.
Serhii Cherevaty, spokesman for Ukraine’s Eastern Military Command, said on Sunday that Ukrainian forces had controlled to “stabilize the situation” around the city, which is the scene of some of the most intense fighting in the Russian-Ukrainian war, according to The Independent in Kiev.
The Russian military sought a victory at Bakhmut to counter the narrative that its invasion of Ukraine stalled. Russian President Vladimir Putin introduced the “special army invasion” last February, but his military has struggled to make really extensive progress after more than a year of fighting. amid reports of low morale and demanding situations faced by troops.
Russian forces have fought alongside the Wagner paramilitary group in Bakhmut for months in hopes of victory, but recent reports have indicated that Russian offensives have slowed in recent weeks, the latest blow to Putin as he seeks to turn the tide of war in his favor.
Both armies continue to fight for the city, which is considered more symbolic than strategic. However, the intensity of the fighting has decreased, Cherevatyi said, according to The Kyiv Independent.
“Yesterday there were 18 attacks on the entire Bakhmut front, there were 17. Before that, there were between 35 and 50 or more. However, this requires more detailed verification and analysis,” Cherevatyi said.
He added that Russia had recently lost more army aircraft, adding a tank, an amphibious attack vehicle, an infantry fighting vehicle, a self-propelled weapon, two drones, a corporate command post and 10 ammunition depots, as it sought to take control. city.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian General Valery Zaluzhny said Friday that the front line in Bakhmut remains “maximally difficult” but showed some optimism to Ukrainian troops.
“Thanks to the abundant efforts of the Defense Forces, we are managing to stabilize the situation,” he told the Moscow Times.
The comments by Ukrainian army authorities are the latest indication that the Russian army’s movements in Bakhmut have slowed down.
Britain’s Defense Ministry in an intelligence update Saturday that Russian offensives at Bakhmut “largely stopped” amid the “extreme attrition of the Russian force,” noting that Russia and Ukraine have suffered heavy troop losses.
The update indicates that Russia gave the impression of focusing on the vicinity of the city of Avdiivka, south of Bakhmut.
“This suggests a general return to a more defensive operational design after the inconclusive effects of its attempts to conduct a general offensive since January,” the update said.
However, Russia’s progress on Avdiivka also appears to be slowing, according to former Russian commander Igor Girkin, who wrote in a Telegram article on Sunday that “there has been no progress in the past two days” due to “insufficient forces. “
Newsweek contacted Russia’s Defense Ministry for comment.
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