According to British intelligence services, the Russian attack on the eastern Ukrainian town of Bakhmut has largely come to a standstill. “This is probably primarily a result of the significant losses suffered by Russian forces,” the British Ministry of Defense said on Saturday.
“The Russians’ situation is also likely to have worsened due to tensions between the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Wagner Group, both of which are deploying units to this sector of the front.” The Ukraine also suffered heavy losses in the month-long battle for Bakhmut, it was emphasized in London.
London: Russian troops deploy more defensively
Russia is now focusing more on the city of Avdiivka further south and on the section of the front near Kreminna and Svatowe north of Bakhmut, sources in London said. There the Russians wanted to stabilize the front line. This indicates that Russian troops are generally becoming more defensive after attempts at a major offensive have failed to produce “conclusive results” since January.
The British Ministry of Defense has been issuing daily updates on the course of the war since Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine began in February 2022, citing intelligence information. In doing so, the British government wants to both counter the Russian portrayal and keep allies in line. Moscow accuses London of a disinformation campaign.
Zelenskyj on counter-offensive: Can’t start yet
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the military situation in the embattled east as “not good”. The reason is the “lack of ammunition,” Selenskyj said in an interview with the Japanese daily “Yomiuri Shimbun” published on Saturday. About the start of a possible counter-offensive, he said: “We can’t start yet.” Without tanks and artillery, “no brave soldiers” could be sent to the front.
According to the newspaper, Selenskyj made the serious shortage of weapons clear. “We are waiting for ammunition to arrive from our partners,” he said, adding that the Russian military fires three times more ammunition than Ukrainian forces every day. The newspaper conducted the interview on March 23 on the train, when Zelenskyy was on his way back to the capital Kiev after visiting the southern region of Cherson close to the front. He had previously visited the eastern regions of Donetsk and Kharkiv.
Commander-in-Chief: Situation around Bakhmut is stabilizing
The Ukrainian defenders are still struggling at Bakhmut. Bakhmut remains one of the most heavily contested sectors of the front, but according to its commander-in-chief, Valeriy Zalushny, the situation of the Ukrainian army there has “stabilized”.
The commander of the Ukrainian land forces, Olexander Syrsykj, announced an imminent counteroffensive. “We will soon seize this opportunity, as we did in the past with Kiev, Kharkiv, Balakliya and Kupyansk,” he announced this week on the Telegram news channel. Syrskyj praised the courage and perseverance of his soldiers.
