Euronews expert Sasha Vakulina examines what is happening on the war fronts in southern and eastern Ukraine. This time the focus is on the never-ending struggle surrounding Bachmut. The city has been in ruins for a long time.
According to the British Institute for the Study of War – ISW – Ukrainian forces have launched counter-offensives in at least three sectors of the front and continue efforts to gradually weaken Russian human and logistical resources.
Let’s take a look at one such sector – around Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.
In its latest report, ISW writes: Visual evidence confirms that Ukrainian forces have been advancing southwest of Bakhmut since 6 July. Ukrainian Forces Group East spokesman Colonel Serhiy Cherevaty said Ukrainian troops had advanced more than a kilometer against Russian forces near Bakhmut in recent days.
While Ukrainian forces are pressing the northern and southern flanks, our focus here is on the area south of Bakhmut.
A geotagged video of the battles released on July 6 shows Russian artillery shelling a Ukrainian infantry fighting vehicle on the western outskirts of Klishchivka – about five kilometers southwest of Bakhmut – indicating that Ukrainian forces have made progress in the area.
Russian military bloggers have reported that Ukrainian troops have taken several forested areas west of Klishchivka and are increasing pressure on Russian positions southwest of Bakhmut.
The Klishchivka settlement is very important for the counteroffensive in this area, as it can give Ukrainian forces control over strategically important high points and therefore more territory.
Control of the Klishchivka settlement could help Ukraine retake Bakhmut, which was captured by Russian forces in May after 10 months of heavy fighting, and put even more pressure on Russia to force it to withdraw its forces from other Ukrainian areas.