Russian forces are making “tactical advances” in the Donbas following a long run of bad news for their “special military operation”, according to British intelligence.
“In the last three days, pro-Russian forces have made tactical advances towards the centre of the town of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast,” the Ministry of Defence (MoD) claimed in one of its regular military intelligence updates on the war in Ukraine.
They said that what they described as the “pro-Russia militia of the Luhansk region” — formerly the self-declared Luhansk People’s Republic, now formally annexed to the Russian Federation following largely unrecognised Moscow-backed referendums in four Ukrainian regions — had “likely” already advanced into two villages to the south of Bakhmut, and that the Russian mercenary Wagner Group was probably “heavily involved” in the fighting.
“There have been few, if any, other settlements seized by regular Russian or separatist forces since early July,” the British intelligence update noted, suggesting that this latest effort was probably “a preliminary to advancing on the Kramatorsk-Sloviansk urban area which is the most significant population centre of Donetsk Oblast held by Ukraine.”
“Russia continues to prosecute offensive operations in central Donbas and is, very slowly, making progress,” the MoD conceded, though they believe “severe shortages of munitions and manpower” are hampering Russian movements.
The advances mark a rare spot of success — or at least potential success — for Russian forces on the ground, who suffered a massive, sudden reverse in the Kharkiv (Kharkov) region, to the north of the Donbas, where they have also subsequently lost territory.
The Russian-occupied southern Kherson region, north of Crimea, also remains under pressure, with Russian officials now discussing action to “evacuate” residents to the Russian Federation proper.
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