Russia is mounting a “re-energised” Bakhmut attack as Ukrainian forces retreat, the UK claims

According to a Friday intelligence briefing from Britain, Russian artillery shelling has caused Ukrainian soldiers to retreat from several areas in the battleground city of Bakhmut.

According to the statement, “Russia has re-energised its attack on the Donetsk Oblast town of Bakhmut as units of the Russian MoD and Wagner Group have enhanced co-operation.”

“Ukrainian troops face major resupply challenges but have undertaken orderly withdrawals from the sites they have been forced to abandon,” the British military stated in a daily intelligence briefing.

The struggle, which has lasted months and is the bloodiest of the conflict for both sides’ soldiers, has been led by Wagner on the Russian side. Nevertheless, the commander of the mercenary organisation has previously voiced concerns about the regular military’s lack of assistance for his troops.

According to the British report, “the Ukrainian defence still maintains the western areas of the town but has been exposed to especially severe Russian artillery bombardment during the preceding 48 hours.”

According to the report, Wagner battalions were now concentrating on moving forward in the centre of Bakhmut, while Russian paratroopers were supplanting them in strikes on the city’s sides.

In a tremendous winter onslaught that has so far produced little advances despite infantry ground warfare of an intensity not seen in Europe since World War Two, Bakhmut, which had about 70,000 people before the war, has been Russia’s main goal.

The city would be Russia’s first significant win in eight months if it were taken.

According to Russia, doing so would pave the way for a major military objective—the conquest of further land in Ukraine‘s eastern Donbas area.

Towards the end of February, it seemed as though Ukraine, which is preparing its own counteroffensive, would abandon Bakhmut. But, in March, Ukraine stated it would continue to battle there, claiming Russia was suffering more fatalities while attempting to storm it.

(Reuters)