Russian forces could lose Bakhmut, which was captured in May, in the Ukrainian counter-attack, according to the intelligence collection released by the British Ministry of Defense on Saturday.
Russian forces could lose Bakhmut, which was captured in May, in the Ukrainian counter-attack, according to the intelligence collection released by the British Ministry of Defense on Saturday.
British intelligence said that in June, there was relative calm in the vicinity of the city of Donetsk region, which was the epicenter of the fighting for months, “however, in the last seven days, Bakhmut has again become one of the most intense places on the battle front”.
“Ukrainian forces have made solid gains in both the north and south of the Russian-controlled city,” the British Ministry of Defense said in a statement, admitting that Russian forces were hindered by poor morale, disparate units and limited ability to locate and strike Ukrainian artillery.
“Surrendering in Bakhmut is almost certainly not politically acceptable for the Russian leadership,” the British intelligence pointed out, reminding that Russia attaches symbolic importance to Bakhmut as “one of the rare Russian successes in the last twelve months.”
At the same time, according to British experts, it is very likely that the Russians have few additional reserves to use in this sector.
On Friday, it became known that in the direction of Bakhmut, Ukrainian forces have advanced by more than a kilometer during the day.
According to the experts of the US Institute of War Studies (ISW), the Ukrainian forces near Bakhmut have achieved significant tactical success.
