ISW predicts how battles for Bakhmut will unfold

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported this. 

US analysts draw attention to the fact that the speed of the Russian troops' advance in the Bakhmut area has probably slowed down in recent days, although it is still too early to assess whether the Russian offensive has reached its climax.

ISW notes that Russian military bloggers have admitted that the Ukrainians managed to slow down the pace of the occupying Russian forces' advance around Bakhmut and nearby settlements. And one of them claimed that the Ukrainian troops pushed back the mercenaries of the Wagner PMC to the positions they occupied a few days ago.

At the same time, Ukrainian sources in social networks previously claimed that Ukraine's Armed Forces completely pushed out Russian troops from the eastern outskirts of Bakhmut around December 21.

According to ISW, Russian forces made slightly less progress in the Bakhmut area in November and December combined compared to October.

The Institute for the Study of War has suggested that Russian forces will find it difficult to maintain the pace of their offensive operations in the Bakhmut area and may try to initiate a tactical or operational pause.

“Russia’s relentless and costly push on Bakhmut may also degrade Russia’s ability to pursue long-term objectives in the Donbas theater,” the ISW reported. 

• On December 24, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, Kyrylo Budanov, said that Yevgeny Prigozhin is trying to seize Bakhmut in the Donetsk region with the forces of the Wagner Group to strike at the authority of the Russian regular army and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.