Front line in Bakhmut now marked by local river — UK intelligence
Bakhmut (Photo:Український свідок)
Russian troops have taken most of the eastern part of Bakhmut, a strategically important town in Donetsk Oblast, over the past four days, and only a local river separates them from the Ukrainian army, the UK Ministry of Defense reported on Twitter on March 11.
“In the town center, the Bakhmutka River now marks the front line,” it said.
“Ukrainian forces hold the west of the town and have demolished key bridges over the river, which runs through north-south through a strip of open ground 200m-800m wide, between built up areas.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian units are able to fire from fortified buildings in the west, which has probably complicated PMC Wagner troops’ frontal assault.
However, the UK intelligence added that “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.”
Analysts of the U.S. Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on March 9 that the Russian forces likely advanced northwest of Bakhmut on March 9 amidst a likely increased tempo of Russian offensive operations in the area. At the same time, experts noted that the Russian Wagner mercenary company's offensive in eastern Bakhmut appears to have entered a temporary tactical pause.
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