Russians advance on Bachmut
The fronts in Ukraine are threatening to move: since the beginning of winter, the Ukrainian defenders have been under massive pressure at several focal points. Russian troops are achieving major successes near Bachmut.
In eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian armed forces are facing increasing problems: At the same time as the major battle for Avdiivka, the defenders are having to fend off Russian attacks at various points along the more than 1000-kilometer-long front.
Over the past few days, Russian units have been able to make extensive territorial gains near Bachmut. The Ukrainian units not only had to give up the Bachmut suburb of Khromowe. The hard-won advance on the road to Chassiv Yar is apparently also firmly back in Russian hands.
"There is fierce fighting in dozens of places along the entire front line," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky summarized the situation at the beginning of December. "The most difficult areas are Mariinka, Avdiivka and Bakhmut." The Ukrainians have had to fend off dozens of waves of attacks per day at these three hotspots since the beginning of winter. Mariinka has long been in ruins, in Avdiivka the Ukrainians have so far been able to prevent encirclement and in Bakhmut important Ukrainian positions are in danger.
So far, Ukrainian soldiers have been able to withstand the attacks. The Russian attacks here are directed against well-developed positions along the ridges in the west and south-west of the town, which once had a population of around 75,000. Bachmut lies on the edge of the Donbass and has long served as a symbol of the Ukrainian will to resist.
It was not until the end of May 2023 that Russia was able to announce the capture of the almost completely destroyed urban area. After months of extremely costly attacks, the Russian troops succeeded in pushing the Ukrainians out of the ruins of Bachmut. The capture of the town was of no great strategic value. Enormous forces were tied up here for almost a full year, including a large part of the Russian Wagner mercenary troops.
However, in the summer, the Ukrainians counterattacked at Bachmut as part of the long-awaited counteroffensive. Within a short time, they were able to liberate several suburbs in the south-west of the city, including the particularly hard-fought village of Klishchiivka. Gradually, however, the Ukrainian advances also came to a standstill on this section of the front.
The Ukrainians failed to make a major breakthrough through the Russian lines at Bachmut. The advances here came within four kilometers of the city center. A railroad embankment has marked the new front line in recent weeks. Behind it, the flat, uncovered lowlands of the Bachmutka River open up.
It is unclear how long the Ukrainian units in Klishchiivka will be able to hold out: localizable drone footage shows heavy fighting north of the village. Russian shock troops are attacking from a strip of forest to the south-west. If the ridge there falls, the Ukrainian units will probably also have to withdraw from the lower-lying Klishchiivka for the time being.
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In the context of ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Ukraine's eastern regions are facing immense challenges. Despite the Ukrainian defense in Avdiivka, Russian forces are pushing towards several fronts, including Bachmut, where they've made significant territorial gains.
Despite the resilience of Ukrainian troops in Bachmut, which has long symbolized Ukraine's resolve, the city has been the focus of months of intense and costly attacks for the Russian forces.
Source: www.ntv.de
