Russian troops in Bakhmut are trapped - Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister

Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar made the statement.

"If we talk about Bakhmut itself, the enemy is actually trapped there. On the one hand, they control most of the city, while we control only the southwestern part. But they cannot move around the city because the Ukrainian Armed Forces do not allow them to do so. And they cannot leave the city because the Ukrainian Armed Forces do not allow them to do so," she said. 

She said that there were some advances on the southern flank today. On the northern flank around Bakhmut there was fighting, with no significant advances as of the end of the day. 

The deputy minister explained that it is premature to report on advances on the flanks before the positions are secured, as the situation can change hourly. Today is such a day - the situation has been changing dynamically. 

She stated that the Ukrainian Defense Forces were inflicting significant damage on the enemy in the eastern region to the extent that in certain areas, the Russian military started retreating from their positions as whole units. However, the intensity of the conflict has escalated to such an extent that the enemy has resorted to deploying "barrier troops" and employing weapons aimed at their own forces in an attempt to maintain troop stability. 

According to Maliar, the hottest spots in the east are in the Lyman and Bakhmut directions. In particular, fierce fighting takes place in the Bakhmut direction, and Russian forces are holding on to their positions. However, the Ukrainian Defense Forces are still making progress.

"To summarize, we are gradually advancing, meanwhile, the enemy is not advancing in any of the directions," she added.

• According to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as of the evening of July 5, in the Bakhmut direction, Ukrainian defenders successfully repelled attacks in the areas south of Berkhivka and Bohdanivka, Donetsk region. They continue to conduct offensive operations south and north of the city of Bakhmut, consolidating their positions.