Russians will find themselves surrounded north of Bakhmut – military expert

He shared these insights on Espreso.

"The Russians are preparing to escalate their offensive. As Ukrainian reserve forces move in to break through the Zaporizhzhia front, the enemy is preparing to launch an attack in the Luhansk direction, particularly in the Kupyansk-Svatove area. They will also attempt to engage our troops, who are currently encircling Bakhmut. If we advance a few more kilometers north of Bakhmut, specifically in the Berkhivka region, the Russian garrison will be in a precarious position," Svitan explained.

The reserve colonel highlighted that the Ukrainian Defense Forces are now monitoring Russian movements in and out of Bakhmut.

"After the Ukrainian Armed Forces withdraw to the north of Bakhmut, we will effectively cut off the Russians' access from Bakhmut. They will be surrounded, not only in tactical terms. This is why they are trying to retain our troops in the Berkhivka area. To the south of Bakhmut, our forces are advancing toward Horlivka, and that's where the enemy might become more active as our primary offensive gains momentum," Svitan added.

• Rather than abandoning their ambitions to reach the Donetsk and Luhansk region borders, invading Russian forces are planning to retaliate against Ukrainian defenders. 
• The Ukrainian military continues its offensive and has made significant progress near Klishchiivka in the Donetsk region and in the Zaporizhzhia region.