Recent strategic gains by Ukraine saw them securing two villages near Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast. The Russian-controlled railway line, however, remains a powerful defense hindering further Ukrainian advances, according to the British Defense Ministry's 20 September intelligence update.
The ministry tweeted:
- Since 15 September 2023, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have secured the villages of Klishchiivka and Andriivka, approximately 8km to the south of the Donetsk Oblast town of Bakhmut.
- This tactical success brings Ukrainian forces closer to the T 05-13 road, one of the main supply routes into Bakhmut from the south. However, Russia continues to hold the railway line which runs along an embankment between Klishchiivka and the T 05-13, creating a readily defendable obstacle.
- Recent redeployments of Russian airborne forces from Bakhmut to Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine have likely weakened Russia’s defences around Bakhmut.

Map by Deep State.
Read also:
- ISW: Ukrainian gains highlight Russian units’ degradation
- Russo-Ukrainian war, day 573. Degrading Russian Army struggles without rest
- Frontline report: Ukraine’s latest attacks on occupied Crimea expose gaps in Russian defenses
- Opinion: Ukraine has the initiative in all dimensions
Read Also
-
Ukraine is saving Donetsk Oblast with world’s first-of-its-kind operation: Vivaldi counteroffensive drops robots directly from heavy bombers 10 kilometers behind Russian lines
-
Russia’s secret drone math: one Tatarstan plant could yield 28,000 more drone bodies a year
-
Ukraine and Hungary have a rare moment of cooperation, agreeing to build fuel storage beyond Russia’s reach





