A top Ukrainian general said that Ukrainian forces have successfully driven out Russian forces from some positions in the key city of Bakhmut. This comes as the city has been under bombardment, with both sides vying for control of the territory.
On Monday, Ukrainian Colonel General Oleksander Syrskyi said in a statement on the Telegram messaging platform that Ukrainian forces have ousted Russian forces from some positions in Bakhmut. Syrskyi, who oversees the Ukrainian forces on the ground, noted how the situation in Bakhmut is “quite difficult” as the city has been the center of heavy fighting.
“At the same time, in certain parts of the city, the enemy was counter-attacked by our units and left some positions,” said Syrskyi, adding that new Russian units have been “constantly thrown into battle for Bakhmut” despite the number of casualties it is suffering. Syrskyi added that Moscow has not been able to take control of Bakhmut.
The battle for Bakhmut has been going on for over 10 months and has taken symbolic importance for both Russia and Ukraine as Russia has sought to make a territorial gain after losing significant territories late last year. Ukraine has also sought to hold its defense of the city to keep it under its control.
On the same day, Russia carried out missile strikes on Ukraine overnight that killed two people in eastern Ukraine, set off fires, and damaged homes and buildings. The head of the Russian Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said on Telegram that his fighters were in need of around 300 tons of artillery shells a day for its offensive in Bakhmut but had only received one-third of the amount.
In a separate post on the platform, Prigozhin said Wagner fighters had advanced around 120 meters into Bakhmut while losing 94 members.
Meanwhile, the British defense ministry on Tuesday said in its intelligence bulletin that while Russia is prioritizing the mobilization of its defense industry, it continues to fail to meet wartime demands. The ministry added that the country’s political leaders have maintained its demand for success on the ground in Ukraine, but its logistics officials are “stuck in the middle.”