Ukraine is strengthening its defenses west of Bakhmut to maintain vital roads after the Russian advance

Russian troops are increasing the pace of their offensive operation in the northwest Bakhmutafter taking control of the eastern part of the city, while Ukrainian forces are strengthening their positions in the west to defend vital logistics lines for their survival on the battlefield.

Before that, Russia wants to take over the entire city, which has less than 4,000 inhabitants Ukraine throw away yours counter-offensive in the springwhich can start in two months if Kiev gets more ammunition and missiles in time far-reaching in the West, according to what the adviser to the Presidency Mykhailo Podolyak told the daily Stamp and pick up Epheus.

Ukrainian troops are surrounded from the east, north and south, although the mercenaries of Wagner’s group have not yet reached the center of Bakhmutka, for which they would have to cross the Bakhmutka River from the eastern part. Russia has considered this direction of the front under control since the 8th, as confirmed by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) as a result of geolocation images.

the newspaper Ukrainian Pravda reported this Friday that military sources confirmed the withdrawal “a few days ago” of the Ukrainian army from the eastern part of the river.

ISW currently claims that Wagner’s offensive operation in eastern Bakhmut “appears to have entered a temporary tactical pause”since the fighters had been carrying out “very exhausting” frontal attacks for nine months and were “probably not ready to cross the river”.

According to what the spokesman of the Eastern Group of Armed Forces, Serhiy Cherevaty, said on Ukrainian television, the defense of Bakhmut has a military aspect – to exhaust the Russians – and a moral one, because no other army in the world can take the center.

Wagner’s situation

Despite gradual progress, the mercenaries of businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, faced with the political and military leadership of the Russian Ministry of Defense, recognize problems in Bakhmut, especially in relation to ammunition supply.

Wagner’s boss claimed that in Russia they blocked his communications and passes before the decision-making bodies not to ask for ammunition, in the middle information that Moscow is sending additional troops conventional to the city in order to reduce the role of the mercenaries, the leaders of the Russian attacks on Bakhmut.

In the absence of movement to attempt to reach the center, the mercenaries would concentrate northwest of Bymouth. Prigozhin assured on Thursday that they had captured Dubovo-Vasylivka, six kilometers northwest of Bakhmut, although Ministry of Defense of Russia This has not yet been confirmed, and the General Staff of Ukraine assured in its morning war report this Friday that the forces repelled Russian attacks in this village. “Probable capture Dubovo-Vasylivka this corresponds to a potentially increased pace of Russian offensive operations northwest of Bakhmut in recent days,” ISW noted.

Ukraine’s General Staff claimed a day earlier that Russian forces had carried out the least 30% of your attacks in the northwestwhich created a new threat for Ukrainian troops, since from there they can attack through Bohdanivka neighboring Chasiv Yar, further to the southwest, strategically for defense Bakhmut.

This city, a few kilometers west of Bakhmut, serves Ukrainian soldiers not only for rest and regrouping, but also for supply the troops at the frontand is therefore the starting point of important logistical and communication routes.

Wagner Group opens 42 recruitment centers in Russia to strengthen the front

Wagner’s group is left without mercenaries as the war in Ukraine drags on. To continue on the front line, its owner, a businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, announced the opening of employment centers in 42 cities of Russia. «New fighters will arrive and join us to defend their country and their families.“, he pointed out. Scarcity in their ranks became apparent in what Prigozhin called the “colossal resistance” of the Ukrainian armed forces. “We will continue to move forward. Despite the sticks in the wheels that put us at every step, we will get through this together“, he emphasized, the agency Colpis reports.

In the list of locations, most seem to be in gyms and martial arts clubs. The long history of great Russian-born competitors in these sports has led to several candidates moving into grassroots competitions, making them targets of Wagner’s campaign. This situation was triggered after a veto was imposed on the prison recruitment group.