24 May 2023, Wednesday, 10:15 571

Battles for Bakhmut. Pace of enemy offensive falls – ISW

Editor: Roman Vaniyan

Читати українською

Share:
Copied

The counteroffensive actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) on the flanks of Bakhmut forced the Russians to lose the pace of their offensive in the city. On the southern side, the occupiers continue to prepare for defense.

This follows from a statement by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

According to analysts, on May 23, Russian troops limited ground attacks northeast of Kupiyansk and along the Svatove-Kreminna line. The General Staff of Ukraine concluded that Russian troops conducted unsuccessful offensive actions near Masiutivka (13 km northeast of Kupiyansk) and Bilohorivka (10 km south of Kreminna).

Russian "military bloggers" claimed that Russian forces "took new positions near Nevske" (18 km northwest of Kreminna). However, ISW found no visible confirmation of this claim. A video published on May 23 allegedly shows unknown airborne units operating in the forests near Kreminna.

Ukrainian officials said that the pace of hostilities in the Bakhmut direction was disrupted by the continuation of limited Ukrainian counterattacks on the flanks of Bakhmut on May 23.

For the first time since December 2022, the General Staff does not plan to fight in the city of Bakhmut in its situation as of 6 p.m., suggesting that the forces of the Wagner group may be moving further inside the city.

The General Staff also assumes that Russian troops conducted unsuccessful offensive actions near Khromove (west of Bakhmut).

In addition, on May 23, Russian troops continued their offensive on the Avdiyivka-Donetsk line. The General Staff reported that Ukrainian troops had repelled Russian attacks near Avdiyivka, 13 km north of Avdiyivka in the Novokalynove area and within 14 km west of Avdiyivka in the Siverne, Vodiane, and Pervomaiske areas.

It is reported that Ukrainian forces also repelled numerous attacks on Mariyinka (about 24 km southwest of the city of Donetsk).

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, the AFU continue to surround Bakhmut from the flanks, so the city may soon find itself under tactical encirclement.