Ukraine said Sunday it had retaken "more than 10 positions" in the suburbs of Bakhmut, in the east, epicenter of fighting for several months and theater in recent days of a Ukrainian advance on the flanks of Russian defenses.
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Today, our units captured more than ten enemy positions in the north and south in the suburbs of Bakhmut," Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Maliar said on Telegram, adding that "fierce fighting" is still going on within the ravaged city. "Enemy soldiers have been captured," Ganna Maliar added.
Kiev has claimed for several days to have made progress around Bakhmut, a first in several months, while Moscow says it is advancing in the city itself, which it already controls for the most part.
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Bloodiest and longest battle
According to Ganna Maliar, Moscow's troops "have gathered all their forces there and are trying to advance, destroying everything in their path."
The battle for this Donbass city is the bloodiest and longest since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022. Observers doubt the strategic significance of the conquest of this city for Russia but it would allow Moscow to display a victory after several humiliating setbacks.
On the spot, the Wagner paramilitary group is supported by the regular Russian army, although its leader, businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, regularly accuses the military hierarchy of not giving enough ammunition to his men to conquer Bakhmut.
