Bakhmut as a city "no longer exists" - Budanov

The Chief of the Ukrainian Defence Intelligence Kyrylo Budanov stated this on the air of the Unified news telethon

According to Kyrylo Budanov, Russian shelling almost completely destroyed Bakhmut:

"The town itself is a disaster there... But in my understanding, this city basically no longer exists as a city. Certain areas are definitely not subject to reconstruction. I am not a builder, but this city is easier to do from scratch than to rebuild," he said.

At the same time, according to the intelligence chief, the military situation in Bakhmut is not catastrophic.

• According to the Institute for the Study of War, it will be difficult for the Russian occupiers to maintain the same pace of offensive operations in the area of Bakhmut, Donetsk region.
• A fighter of the Freedom battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine Yaroslav Lysenko said that Ukrainian troops expect new attacks from the Russian army on Bakhmut and the outskirts of the city.