According to British intelligence services, Russian forces have made progress in the battle for the eastern Ukrainian town of Bakhmut. In the past few days, some units of the Russian army and mercenaries from the Wagner Group have gained a foothold west of the Bakhmutka River, the Ministry of Defense said in London. Finally, the river marked the front. Ukrainian forces would continue to defend the west of the city.
In contrast to Bakhmut, however, Russia would carry out fewer attacks on the rest of the front than it had in a long time. “This is most likely due to the fact that the Russian armed forces have temporarily decimated the combat effectiveness of the deployed formations to such an extent that even local offensive actions are currently not sustainable,” it said in London.
Presumably, the advances should resume when personnel and ammunition stocks are replenished. “Until then, commanders will likely be forced to choose between conducting offensive operations and conducting reliable defense of the entire front line,” the UK ministry said.
