After a lull during June 2023, over the last seven days Bakhmut has again been the site of some of the most intense fighting along the front, the UK Defense Intelligence reports.
Ukrainian forces have made steady gains to both the north and south of temporarily occupied town. Russian soldiers are highly likely struggling with poor morale, a mix of disparate units and a limited ability to find and strike Ukrainian artillery.
Read more: Russia Establishes Azov Naval District in Mariupol, Adding Karakurt Class Corvettes
The russian leadership almost certainly see it as politically unacceptable to concede Bakhmut, which has a symbolic weight as one of the few russian gains in the last 12 months. However, there are highly likely few additional reserves to commit to the sector.
Read more: Ukraine’s Counteroffensive Makes russia Risk National Security to Continue the War
