Ukrainian forces liberate same amount of territory in five weeks that Russian forces captured in over six months – ISW

This is reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

The report indicated that Ukrainian officials said on July 10 that the Defense Forces had fire control over Bakhmut and Russian land lines of communication around the city.

Both Ukrainian and Russian sources have indicated in recent days that Ukraine is gaining ground in the Bakhmut area and on its southwestern flanks, including specific terrain features that could give Ukrainian forces a fire advantage.

In addition, analysts report, Ukrainian troops conducted counteroffensive operations on at least three areas of the front on July 10.

Since the start of the Ukrainian counteroffensive on June 4, according to ISW estimates based on its own terrain control data, Ukrainian forces have retaken approximately 253 square kilometers of territory. The review clarifies that Ukrainian data differ from ISW data due to different approaches to calculations.

So, experts note, since January 1, Russian troops have captured a total of 282 square kilometers in the entire territory of hostilities.

“In five weeks, Ukrainian forces have liberated nearly the same amount of territory that Russian forces captured in over six months,” the report concludes. 

• The day before, the General Staff announced that since the beginning of the AFU counteroffensive, 169 km² of Ukrainian land in the Melitopol and Berdyansk directions have been liberated – an area commensurate with the size of Odesa. In the direction of Bakhmut, the Defense Forces returned 24 km² of Ukrainian territory.