Ukrainian Forces continue to advance near Bakhmut
The Ukrainian Armed Forces continue their counteroffensive, gradually reclaiming positions from the Russians near Bahmut . Today, Ukrainian Forces have reportedly gained control over more than half of the village of Klishchiivka. The Russian army is also retreating along the Andriivka and Kurdyumivka lines, south of Bahmut.
Deputy commander of the Third Separate Assault Brigade, Maxim Zhorin, spoke about the success of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Klishchivka. According to him, the Russians suffer daily losses in personnel near Klishchivka, Andriivka, and Kurdyumivka, and are forced to retreat.
"In Klishchivka, only a small amount remains, perhaps one and a half streets, which the enemy is still partially trying to control, but they are doing it very poorly. We have created unfavorable conditions for the Russian forces in this direction, and recently they have been unable to use their equipment", Zhorin stated in a comment to Espresso TV.
He added that Ukrainian troops have destroyed almost all of the Russian equipment here – tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and airborne combat vehicles – while the remaining ones are either not being used or are only being used as "taxis" or logistical assets at night.
At the same time, Zhorin identified the attacks from Russian aircraft – drones, aviation, guided aviation bombs – as a serious problem for the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Bahmut, along with radio-electronic warfare systems.
"However, when infantry engage in close combat, Russian forces cannot withstand the battle and are forced to retreat," said Zhorin.
According to Zhorin, the villages of Klishchiivka, Andriivka, and Kurdyumivka, where fighting has been taking place in recent months, can only be conditionally called populated areas, as they are almost completely in ruins.
"They may have addresses, and sometimes you can guess where the buildings used to be, but there is little left of the populated areas. It is sometimes difficult to tell where the street was, where the boundaries between the houses were. It is all just ruins and the fighting is taking place over these ruins," the military official added.
Zhorin's words were confirmed by the representative of the Eastern Group of Ukrainian Forces, Ilya Evlash. According to him, heavy fighting continues near Bakhmut.
"Russian military forces are retreating from the populated area of Klishchiivka. Ukrainian forces are clearing the territory of the country from the occupiers meter by meter. Although Russian soldiers are trying to regain their lost positions, they are unsuccessful," Evlash said during a live broadcast.
He also noted that in this area, the Russian army command constantly "mixes up" its personnel composition.
"They form so-called composite units from previously disbanded formations. The tactic of overwhelming Ukrainian positions with sheer numbers continues," he explained.
The American Institute for the Study of War also confirmed the successful advancement of the Ukrainian Armed Forces south of Bakhmut, near the village of Klishchiivka. Analysts refer to a statement by Lieutenant General Alexander Syrsky, the Commander of Ground Forces, who mentioned that the soldiers "are regaining positions in this area."
Some details of the situation in this area have been added by Russian military correspondents. They claim that Ukrainians have driven the Russians out of half of Klishchiivka. There is also information from the Russian Ministry of Defence that Ukrainian fighters have cut communication lines of the Russian military near this village.
The online map DeepState also confirms that the front line in Klishchiivka has moved 700 meters into Russian positions. Earlier, Ilya Evlash explained that the liberation of Klishchiivka would be a "significant blow" for the Russians, as the Russian military would likely be forced to retreat to the rear.
"They have set their command-defined boundaries there, which they are already preparing. And this will depend on the development of further combat operations. We'll see how quickly they will start to crumble," he said in a comment for Donbass.Realii.
When asked by journalists whether the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) would have full fire control over Bahmut if Kiyshchiivka was liberated, Evlash said, "The battle will show. But I can say that for the occupation forces losing Klishchiivka and its return under Ukrainian control will create a lot of trouble for them."