With numerous attacks, Russian forces and mercenaries attempted to further encircle the eastern Ukrainian town of Bachmut over the weekend. They made minimal territorial gains, particularly north and east of the city.
The Ukrainians are now being attacked from three sides, the north, east and south, the British Ministry of Defense reports. Despite this, Russian troops “probably won’t be able to encircle the city any time soon,” say analysts at the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
It has become virtually impossible to evacuate civilians around the front lines at Bachmoet. “There’s no way we can get there,” Deputy Mayor Oleksandr Marchenko told CNN. “The enemy blows everything to the ground, fires at flats and residential areas. There are air raids, artillery and mortar bombardments. The enemy is attacking the city with everything he has.” On Saturday alone, Ukrainian troops repelled 130 Russian attacks, particularly in the direction of Kupyansk, Lyman, Bachmoet and Avdijivka. 150 Russian soldiers were killed, 239 were wounded and three were captured, the Ukrainian armed forces said.
According to the local Ukrainian government, there are still about 4,000 civilians in Bachmut. It is not only the constant shelling that keeps residents from leaving. Also, some fear that they have nowhere to go, or distrust those who want to help them leave. There are still four medical workers in the city.
Despite the Ukrainian armed forces deny this, they seem to be preparing for a controlled departure from Bachmoet. Last week, two bridges were allegedly blown up to make it more difficult for a Russian influx in the near future. “Bachmoth is not very important strategically, but it has served its purpose of effectively being the anvil,” said British retired general Richard Dannatt. The Guardian. He calls it “completely logical” that the Ukrainians would withdraw to a more defensible place. (NRC)