As of today, it is still too early to say that the Russian offensive in the Bakhmut area has completely stalled as the city remains the “epicenter of hostilities.” The spokesman of the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Serhii Cherevatyi, said this on the national telethon, commenting on today’s British intelligence update.
Russia’s assault on Bakhmut stymied by attrition, it shifts to Avdiivka, Kreminna – UK intel
“Today, there were 18 firefights in the Bakhmut direction, [while] until recently, there were 30 to 50 of them, although this requires a more detailed analysis. I think the coming week will show. For now, Bakhmut remains the epicenter of the hostilities, the main direction of the enemy’s attack,” he said.
According to Cherevatyi, yesterday saw 178 Russian artillery attacks with tube and rocket artillery, and five air strikes.
“The area of Bakhmut city alone saw 40 shelling attacks and 16 firefights with 182 occupiers eliminated and 218 wounded. Also, [Ukrainian troops] hit a [Russian] Mi-24 helicopter, a T-80 tank, an infantry fighting vehicle, and a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system,” he said.
Previously, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, said that the situation had been stabilized in the Bakhmut area thanks to the titanic efforts of the Ukrainian forces.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine isn’t ready for a counteroffensive yet due to a shortage of ammunition and heavy weapons:
Ukraine not launching counteroffensive yet due to ammo, weapon shortage – President Zelenskyy
