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(CNN) Russian forces are depleted in Bakhmut and a Ukrainian counteroffensive could be launched soon, says one of Kiev’s top generals, raising the odds of an unlikely turnaround in the besieged city. There is
The commander of the Ukrainian Army, Oleksandr Shirsky, said on his Telegram channel on Thursday:[Russians] lost a lot of power [in Bakhmut] And I’m running out of energy. ”
“In the near future, we will take advantage of this opportunity, as we have done in the past near Kiev, Kharkov, Balakliya and Kupyansk,” he said.
His comments came days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a surprise visit to the front lines in the Donetsk region, where Kiev’s controversial decision to keep troops in Bakhmut would benefit. It will raise Western expectations that it will bring
Ukrainian military personnel were seen moving toward Bakhmut on Wednesday.
Russian forces have launched more than 200 attacks in the area in the past 24 hours alone, but are losing hundreds of soldiers each day in the effort, a spokesman for the military’s eastern group said late Thursday. CNN cannot confirm these numbers.
“There is only Wagner on the Bakhmut direction. When we are short of strength, we are reinforced by Russian paratroopers and sometimes by infantry,” Serhiy Cherevati said. “We will knock them out. In fact, if they continue with the same dynamics, after a while there will be no more Wagner fighters.”
Cherevatyi said another area that saw heavy fires was northeast of Bakhmut, on the front line running north from the town of Kreminna. He claimed that Russia “made hundreds of attacks a day, usually more than 300, sometimes more than 400. On the last day there were 344 attacks and 17 battles.” bottom.
A counterattack seemed an unlikely prospect for several weeks as troops from the Russian Wagner mercenary group bombarded Bakhmut and were on their way to seizing control of the city.
But that effort has come at a significant cost in manpower and resources, and now appears to be slowing down.
Ukrainian forces fire D-30 howitzers at Russian positions near Bakhmut, where heavy fighting has been going on for weeks.
Shirsky said Russian forces continue to try to capture the city “at all costs, despite the loss of both personnel and equipment.”
“Under constant fire from enemy artillery and aircraft, our frontline soldiers are demonstrating superhuman resilience, bravery and bravery,” he said. In particular, the units of the 93rd, 10th, 57th and 5th Brigades currently defending the homeland in the eastern part of the country. “
His optimism echoed Wednesday’s update from the Ukrainian Army’s General Staff, which said Bakhmut is still expected to see heavy fighting, but Russia’s “attack power is declining.” ” he said.
“The enemy continues to try to capture the city and has lost significant amounts of personnel, weapons and military equipment,” he said Wednesday.
Western intelligence agencies have a similar tone. “The tempo of Russian operations around Bakhmut appears to have slowed,” the Institute for War Studies (ISW) think tank wrote in Wednesday’s Update on the Conflict.
But the shift could also mark a shift in Russia’s priorities. The UK Defense Ministry said Wednesday that “there is a real possibility that the Russian attack on the town is losing the limited momentum it has gained as some Russian Defense Force units have been redeployed to other sectors.” said.
Zelensky handed out awards to troops defending Bakhmut during a morale-boosting trip on Wednesday. ‘, he said later in a speech that evening.
The Ukrainian military’s long resistance may justify his decision to ignore Western calls to tactically withdraw from Bakhmut as the Russian offensive looms.
“This is tactical for us,” Zelensky told CNN earlier this month, explaining his decision and claiming that Kiev’s military leaders are banding together to extend the defense of the city.
“I understand that after Bakhmut they could go further. They could go to Kramatorsk, Sloviansk. After Bakhmut Russia to other towns of Ukraine in the direction of Donetsk It will be an open road for people,” he said.
CNN’s Tim Lister and Victoria Butenko contributed to the report.
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