Wagner Group forces control eastern side of Ukraine’s Bakhmut – UK intelligence

Over the last four days, Wagner Group forces have taken control of most of the eastern part of the Donbas town of Bakhmut. In the town center, the Bakhmutka River now marks the front line.

Ukrainian forces hold the west of the town, says a new UK intelligence update. 

Ukrainian forces have demolished key bridges over the river, which runs north-south through a strip of open ground 200m-800m wide, between built-up areas.

"With Ukrainian units able to fire from fortified buildings to the west, this area has become a killing zone, likely making it highly challenging for Wagner forces attempting to continue their frontal assault westwards." the UK intelligence adds.

However, the Ukrainian force and their supply lines to the west remain vulnerable to the continued russian attempts to outflank the defenders from the north and south.

During the last months, the eastern city of Bakhmut has been the scene of the fiercest fighting in Ukraine. The Ukrainian command decided not to leave the city. The General Staff explained this by the fact that the defense will exhaust the most combat-capable russian forces.

However, as previously noted by British intelligence, the Ukrainian defense of Bakhmut continues to wear down the forces of Ukrainian defenders and russian invaders.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also said that the Ukrainian defense of Bakhmut may be defeated in the coming days, but it will not necessarily be a turning point in the war.

NATO intelligence estimates the losses of the russian side in the battles for Bakhmut as five times higher than the Ukrainian losses.

Major General of the Armed Forces of Austria Bruno Hofbauer believes that the city of Bakhmut will not fall in the near future.

Instead, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that Bakhmut has more symbolic meaning than operational. Its fall will not necessarily mean that the kremlin has regained momentum in its military efforts.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that the Ukrainian armed forces will continue fighting for the Donetsk fortress city of Bakhmut in order to wear down the elite units of the Wagner PMC.