Russia claimed on Wednesday that its forces had targeted three Ukrainian army groups near Bakhmut, while Kyiv asserted that its forces had effectively surrounded the Russians despite limited control over the contested city.
Deputy Defence Minister of Ukraine, Hanna Maliar, reported intense fighting further north in the town of Lyman, which Ukrainian forces had recaptured in late 2022. The Russian Wagner mercenary group had taken control of Bakhmut in May after months of conflict.
Since then, Ukrainian forces have exerted significant pressure on the Russian army in the area, posing a threat of encirclement. The Russian defence ministry did not address reports of Russian forces retreating from the village of Klishchiivka southwest of Bakhmut.
However, a Russian-installed official in eastern Ukraine denied such reports. Ukraine claimed partial success in the Klishchiivka area, while a Russian army source, as cited by RIA news agency, asserted that Russian forces had repelled a Ukrainian attack without retreating and were eliminating remaining Ukrainian troops in the region.
Ukrainian military analyst Oleskandr Musiyenko stated that securing Klishchiivka was crucial as it could lead to the liberation of Bakhmut, granting access to communication routes and allowing Ukrainian artillery to operate from advantageous positions.
Deputy Defence Minister Maliar acknowledged that Ukrainian forces only controlled small portions of Bakhmut, but emphasized that the Russian forces were effectively trapped and unable to move within the city due to Ukrainian resistance.
Ukrainian troops were reportedly making gains south of Bakhmut, while fierce fighting persisted in areas north of the city. The Ukrainian military claimed to have repelled Russian attacks on the village of Bohdanivka, located west of Bakhmut.
Both Russian and Ukrainian casualties were reported, with shelling in the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk and a reported oil storage depot fire in Makiivka, adjacent to Donetsk.
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