Chasiv Yar is main Russian goal to surround Bakhmut - military expert Zgurets

He expressed this opinion on the Espreso TV channel.

"If we are talking about Bakhmut, the situation is very complicated. The Russian army continues to try to break through our defenses in the north of the city. It seems that the Russians want to quickly reach Chasiv Yar. The defense on the Bakhmut flanks is quite reliable, which keeps the enemy from advancing. However, the Russians continue to look for opportunities to bypass Bakhmut and reach Chasiv Yar, which will allow them to narrow the ring around the city of Bakhmut," explained Zgurets.

The analyst believes that the military command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces fully controls the situation in Bakhmut.

"So far, we should not expect any qualitative changes in the Bakhmut direction. The supply of Ukrainian troops in Bakhmut via the highways is quite reliable. I am convinced that our command takes into account all the risks posed by the large encirclement of Ukraine’s troops in Bakhmut. Moreover, Ukrainian troops in Bakhmut have received reinforcements," he added.

• On March 3, the commander of the Land Forces, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, said that in Bakhmut, Wagner's assault units were trying to break through the defense and advance to the central areas.

• The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that on March 12, Ukrainian soldiers repelled more than 100 enemy attacks.