The Russians are losing the initiative in the most important battle on the Eastern Front. Ukrainian forces advanced 2,000 meters wide and 700 meters deep, 50 Russian soldiers were killed and 4 were taken prisoner.
Russian Defense Ministry said its airborne troops had made little progress, but acknowledged continued Ukrainian counterattacks on the flanks of Bakhmut near Bohdanivka and Ivanivske. An influential military blogger complained that Russian troops must now respond to Ukrainian actions, implying that Moscow soldiers are losing initiative.