The British Ministry of Defense says Russia has reinforced forces in Bakhmut

The British Ministry of Defense announced that Russia will have begun a new troop movement to Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine, demonstrating its commitment to the capture of a city considered strategic in the development of the conflict.

“It is very likely that Russia has deployed several battalions in recent days to reinforce its sectors in Bakhmut,” the defense ministry said in a note published today on the social network Twitter.

The decision will be made for two reasons: “The tactical victories achieved by Ukraine on the flanks of this disputed city” and the allegations of the leader of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, Yevgeni Prigozhin, fundamental in the operations, that the Russian Ministry of Defense had left positions in Bakhmut, where Ukrainian forces were retaking territory.

“This redeployment represents a significant commitment by the Russian command, given the relatively few Russian combat units that are in Ukraine without engaging the enemy,” the British Ministry of Defense added.

For all these reasons, London understands that “Russian leadership continues to view Bakhmut as an immediate and important war target”, where victory would “enable it to claim some degree of success in the conflict”.

According to the leader of the Wagner group, his troops advanced 500 meters into Bakhmut, where “the fierce and bloody fighting continues”, and “they are almost done fulfilling their mission”.

“The enemy has 0.6 square kilometers left. We are almost done with completing the mission.”

For its part, the Russian Defense Ministry said today that the Wagner group is fighting in the western area of ​​Bakhmut, while Russian regular forces are holding down the advancing Ukrainian army on the flanks.

“For Artiomovsk (Russian name for Bakhmut), the assault groups continue to fight in the western part of the city. The units of the southern group blocked the enemy and covered the flanks of the assault groups,” Russian military commander Igor Konashenkov reported.

According to the Defense representative, Russian aviation and artillery from the southern group hit Ukrainian forces around Bogdanivka and Yagidne, near Bakhmut, causing more than 95 enemy casualties.