Ukraine's third assault brigade penetrated Russian defenses south of Bakhmut by 1.5 km, taking one of two main fortifications in the region. At the same time, other units secured the forest right near the city. Russian forces south of Bakhmut are now in a pocket and will likely have to retreat further.
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Today multiple Ukrainian fighters reported that Ukrainians have finally pushed Russians out of the forest south of Bakhmut. One fighter stated that today the forest was indistinguishable from hell. Russian sources reported that Ukrainian artillery was so concentrated on this particular region as if they aimed to erase it from the ground.
Overall, Ukrainians have penetrated Russian defense simultaneously from 2 sides and are effectively encircling the most powerful Russian fortification in this region. Ideally, they would aim to take it without a fight because not only is it one of the most extensive trench networks developed, but it is also located on a hill and near the village, which makes it very easy to supply the troops. It looks like this is not going to matter, and Russians are going to retreat to avoid being taken into a pocket. In fact, Ukrainian Intelligence reports that Russian commanders have already started moving their command posts further away from Klishchiivka, which signals that the level of confidence in Russian defense is very low.