For months, bitter fighting has raged over Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. Now the British Ministry of Defense believes that Russian infantry has gained a foothold in the industrial areas east of the city and has sometimes also penetrated the residential areas. Accordingly, there is fighting in the streets of Bakhmut.
As early as last week, the Russian army and Wagner mercenaries made small advances into the city’s eastern suburbs in the Donetsk region, the ministry reported on Twitter, citing information from British intelligence.
North of Bakhmut, Russian troops tried to gain better positions near Kupjansk, according to a report from the Ukrainian General Staff on Tuesday evening. There, the Russian army used “their entire spectrum” of artillery against at least 15 settlements. The information from Kiev could not initially be independently verified.
Russians ill-equipped for street fighting
Heavy fighting has been raging around Bakhmut since June, but so far it has been concentrated in open areas around the eastern approaches to the city. Now there could be prolonged and large-scale fighting in built-up areas. The British Ministry of Defense assumes that the invading forces are ill-equipped for this: such operations require experienced infantry with excellent leadership – the Wagner fighters and mobilized reservists, on the other hand, are poorly trained.
Surprisingly, just Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the city on the frontline, cheering on the troops and awarding medals to deserving soldiers (see video above). After his visit, Zelensky underlined the desire for the complete liberation of all Russian-occupied territories. “We will do everything possible and impossible, expected and unexpected, so that our heroes have everything they need to win,” Zelenskyy said in his daily video address on Tuesday night. The troops must achieve what “all Ukrainians expect”.
“Leave nothing of yourself to the enemy”
Selenskyj listed the areas to be liberated. “This is our Luhansk region, this is our southern Ukraine, this is our Crimea,” he said. “Ukraine will not leave anything of itself to the enemy.” Russia has annexed the territories in violation of international law.
During his visit to the east of the country, he saw many badly damaged and destroyed villages on the way to the “Fortress Bakhmut”, which had only recently been liberated by Ukrainian troops. “Look at Russia’s offensive, what it leaves behind when it plants its flag somewhere,” Zelensky said. The so-called Russian world – an ideological battlefield term – means “pains, ruins and graves”.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
