A Ukrainian military spokesperson says the Eastern Group of forces has made progress against Russian positions around Bakhmut, while a Russian military blogger has acknowledged heavy fighting in the area.
Serhii Cherevatyi told CNN Thursday that Ukrainian units had advanced by more than one kilometer towards the village Klishchiivka, and by about 1.5 kilometers (less than a mile) towards the village of Kurdiumivka, on Bakhmut’s southern flank. “We are moving forward every day,” Cherevatyi said.
He also claimed that the Russians were moving additional units toward Bakhmut, including an airborne unit from a sector further north. “This proves they are willing to hold Bakhmut at any cost. The enemy is also deploying additional anti-tank missile systems.”
A commander in the area, Denis Yaroslavsky, claimed that Ukrainian troops have “practically taken Klishchiivka under total control, it is a strategic point from where the offensive actions will kick off to the south of Bakhmut.”
Ukrainian advances: He said there had also been gains north of the city. “As of today, we can say that the enemy is retreating from the northern streets of Bakhmut.”
Maksym Zhorin, the acting commander of the Third Assault Brigade, which has been heavily involved in attack operations around Bakhmut, said that “both on the flanks and in the town itself, there are round-the-clock battles…Now the fighting on our side is mostly offensive.”
Zhorin claimed: “In the area of responsibility of the 3rd Brigade, under the pressure of our assault units, the enemy is forced to abandon their positions and retreat almost every day…Ukrainian forces are now moving to control all the necessary heights on the flanks of Bakhmut.”
It is difficult to verify such claims but recently geolocated video shows Ukrainian units targeting Russian positions around Bakhmut.
What Russia’s military blogger says: Russian blogger War Gonzo said heavy fighting is currently taking place near Klishchiivka. He said the Ukrainians had made a number of attacks in recent days, “but today’s assault, according to reports from the field, is particularly strong.”
“On several occasions, attempts to advance enemy infantry and armored vehicles from Kurdiumivka were recorded, which were suppressed by Russian troops,” he said.
Other Russian military bloggers in recent days have reported a broader Ukrainian assault against Russian flanks both south and north of the ruined city, where thousands of Russian soldiers are now stationed.
What Ukraine says: Further north, along the front lines between Lyman and Kupyansk, Cherevatyi said the Russians were on the attack, and had carried out 14 assaults and more than 449 shellings in the past 24 hours, according to Cherevatyi.
In another hotspot, the ruined city of Avdiivka some 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) from Donetsk city, the National Guard of Ukraine said their soldiers still occupied the city’s tall buildings.
A soldier with Ukraine’s 47th Brigade – which is involved in the counter-offensive in the south, told CNN that “the offensive is slow, but it is advancing steadily, each step is taken carefully. All the nuances of this area, which is heavily mined, are taken into account.”
The soldier, call-sign “Legion,” is a master-sergeant in the 47th.
He told CNN: “The density of mines here is so high that I have never actually seen so many mines in any direction in all my years of service… We work gradually and take the territory tree by tree every day.”
Legion acknowledged that the Russians “knew that this area is where the main attack will take place, so they prepared thoroughly.”
“The intensity of the fighting here is comparable to what it was like in Bakhmut during the hottest phase. Now the same thing is happening in this area,” he added.
