Ukrainian defense forces under artillery fire can force Russian troops to withdraw from Bakhmut

This was stated by the speaker of the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces Serhiy Cherevatyi  during the telethon.

When asked if it's possible for the occupying forces to retreat from Bakhmut while being fired upon by artillery, the speaker said, "Yes, it's quite possible. We are currently putting in a lot of effort to make it even more likely."

Cherevatyi pointed out that we should consider the fact that the Ukrainian military is bravely fighting in a situation where we have equal numbers of personnel and equipment as the enemy. However, sometimes we have fewer artillery shells compared to the Russians.

"Our training, motivation, and exceptional intelligence are the reasons why we can consistently make progress at a steady pace while prioritizing the safety of our personnel, which is extremely valuable to us," he added.

Ukraine’s counteroffensive 

• On June 4, the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched a counteroffensive on the southern frontline, continuing a series of offensives near Bakhmut and in other directions..

• On June 24, the Ukrainian Defense Forces officially confirmed the liberation of the territories near Krasnohorivka in the Donetsk region, which had been under occupation since 2014.

• On the morning of July 3, Hanna Maliar reported that the Defense Forces advanced in the southern and eastern directions. Over the past week, the Ukrainian military liberated about 38 square kilometers. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are advancing on the flanks and effectively destroying the Russians in the Bakhmut direction, but the situation is intense.

• On July 4, it was reported that Ukrainian military forces were advancing on the southern flank around Bakhmut in Donetsk region and in the south.

• On July 6, the Armed Forces made progress and secured positions in three areas: Bakhmut, Melitopol, and Berdyansk. However, they continued to defend Kupyansk.

• On July 7, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar reported that the Defense Forces were advancing on the flanks of Bakhmut and grinding the enemy to a halt in the south, with the ratio of Russian army losses being more than five times higher.

• Later, Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Chechnya, mentioned that the Chechen special unit Akhmat had been sent to the Bakhmut area, with Kadyrov's forces supposedly stationed in Klishchiivka.

• On July 10, Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, emphasized that Bakhmut is under the control of Ukrainian Defense Forces. The General Staff of the Armed Forces highlighted that since the counteroffensive began, Ukrainian forces have liberated an area of approximately 169 km² in the Melitopol and Berdyansk areas, which is about the same size as Odesa. In the Bakhmut area, the Defense Forces have reclaimed 24 km² of Ukrainian territory.

• As of the evening of July 11, intense fighting continued in the Bakhmut area. Despite facing heavy enemy fire from aircraft and artillery, Ukrainian defenders successfully repelled enemy attacks near the Hryhorivka settlement and east of Orikhovo-Vasylivka. More than 10 settlements in the Donetsk region, including Vasyukivka, Bohdanivka, Khromove, Chasiv Yar, and Ivanivske, were affected by enemy artillery shelling.