Ukraine Contimues To Make "Tactically Significant" Gains Around Bakhmut

Ukrainian forces continue to gain territory in the Bakhmut area despite determined Russian opposition. 

It appears that Russia is focusing its defensive efforts in the southern Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, hoping its troops around Bakhmut can stall if not stop the Ukrainian counteroffensive there. JL 

Oleksandra Vaskulina reports in EuroNews:

Ukrainian forces have liberated a total of 37.4 square kilometres in eastern and southern Ukraine in the past week. Ukrainian forces appear to be focusing on tactics that preserve manpower at the expense of slower territorial gains but the current pace of Ukrainian operations is not indicative of a stalemate or that Ukraine cannot retake large areas. It is advancing at a similar rate to the successful Kherson counteroffensive – (in which) progress also was slow (initially).

Ukrainian forces appear to be focusing tactics that preserve manpower at the expense of slower territorial gains – this was the latest assessment made by the Institute for the Study of War ISW on Thursday.

But the US-based think tank said: the current pace of Ukrainian operations is not indicative of a stalemate or evidence that Ukraine cannot retake large areas.

 

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar reported that Ukrainian forces have liberated a total of 37.4 square kilometres in eastern and southern Ukraine in the past week.

Elsewhere, Russian military bloggers have reported that Kyiv's forces liberated an important vantage point near Klishchiivka, around six kilometres southwest of Bakhmut. But they have not liberated the settlement itself.

Finally, the ISW said: the current Ukrainian counteroffensive is less dramatic than the one that liberated much of the Kharkiv region, and more successful than the failed Russian winter offensive.

The think tank added that it is advancing at a similar rate to the successful Kherson counteroffensive – albeit progress was slow with its gains.