Ukrainian forces achieve significant tactical gains in Bakhmut area – ISW

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

“Geolocated footage published on July 6 indicates that Ukrainian forces have made tactically significant gains near Yahidne (2km north of Bakhmut),” the report says. 

In addition, the AFU General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces conducted offensive operations north and south of Bakhmut, and the commander of the Ukrainian ground forces, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, said that Ukrainian troops had regained control of previously lost positions in the Bakhmut area.

Also, the spokesman for the Ukrainian Armed Forces' General Staff, Andriy Kovalov, said that Ukrainian forces achieved partial success in the area of Klishchiivka (7 km southwest of Bakhmut). They also continue offensive operations in the west of the Zaporizhzhia region and along the administrative border between the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions.

The Russian Defense Ministry and other Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian troops were conducting offensive operations in the Kreminna direction along the border of the Kharkiv and Luhansk regions.

What is known about the Ukrainian 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 11, the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced the liberation of Blahodatne, Neskuchne, and Makarivka settlements, near the border of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

On the morning of June 12, Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said that the Ukrainian state flag was raised again over Storozhove, Donetsk region. She said that over the past week, the Ukrainian Armed Forces had liberated 7 settlements and advanced 6.5 kilometers.

On June 26, Hanna Maliar reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have advanced 1 to 2 kilometers on the eastern frontline in the past week. During the offensive in the southern direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces liberated 130 square kilometers.

On June 26, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar also said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had de-occupied the village of Rivnopil, Donetsk region. It is located in the Volnovakha district of the Donetsk region. The Russian army occupied the village in March 2022.

But Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov stated that the already liberated settlements were not the "main event" but rather the prelude to a major counteroffensive.

Specialists of the Institute for the Study of War believe that the Russian military is likely to bring additional forces to Bakhmut from other directions in response to Ukrainian offensive operations in the area.

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 Wednesday, July 5, the General Staff has reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are making progress near Klishchiivka in the Bakhmut sector, and Ukrainian soldiers are now consolidating their positions.

On the morning of July 5, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Ukrainian Defence Forces were continuing their offensive in the Melitopol and Berdiansk directions, consolidating their positions, inflicting artillery fire on the identified enemy targets, and carrying out counter-battery operations.

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.