One of the most important areas in Bahmut is under the control of the soldiers of Brigade no. 80 assault of the AFU. Near their positions, Russian troops are constantly attacking, trying to encircle the city. The brigade soldiers told for Current Time about the battles they’ve been involved in over the past few weeks and what the frontline looks like now.
Advertisement In our area the situation is under control. As soon as we took up the defense here, the enemy tried to attack us actively for three weeks, but failed. I think the enemy has suffered heavy losses in our direction.
Author: Dmitri, Ukrainian soldier in brigade no. 80
Now, according to Dmitri, the attacks of Russian troops on the positions of the brigade did not stop completely, but they became less active than before. However, the military points out that the Russian attackers should not be underestimated. He believes that the respite is most likely just because they have realized that it will not be possible to break into the city with little loss and are thinking of new tactics.
One group attacks but fails, another enters from the other side. It is their tactic: if their goal is to take a certain position, they do not spare people – they send many, many groups.
Author: Dmitri, Ukrainian soldier in brigade no. 80
Another Ukrainian serviceman describes the attempted Russian assault that took place the day before. According to him, it all started with a massive bombing.
They tried, under all this artillery fire, to storm our positions. They were literally jumping into the trenches, throwing grenades at us. From nine in the morning until almost six in the evening it was hell. But our guys reacted quickly, they did an excellent job. They did their best to hold on to the positions we have now.
Author: Anatoli, Ukrainian soldier in brigade no. 80
Sometimes, as Nazarius, another member of the brigade, says, positions are simply abandoned in the wake of constant assaults.
Something flew into the house we were in, everything started to burn. Ammunition started exploding, everything was on fire. They started to advance and it was already evening, nothing could be seen. The whole city is in ruins.
Author: Nazarius, Ukrainian soldier in brigade no. 80
The military says that the Ukrainian army is not permanently on the defensive, but is constantly conducting local counterattacks itself.
We are constantly conducting raids. Because if you just run a passive defense and don’t give the enemy a small blow, they will attack you. But if you lead an active defense with elements of assault actions, pushing back some of the enemy’s positions, he sees that there are serious forces against him. And he doesn’t get overconfident.
Author: Dmitri, Ukrainian soldier in brigade no. 80
right The New York Times, a breakthrough for Russia looks increasingly unlikely. Regardless of the outcome of the Battle of Bahmut, Moscow’s inability to gain substantial ground in the Donbas shows how little its offensive has accomplished and how much its army has struggled to occupy urban areas throughout the war.
Having mobilized hundreds of thousands of troops, Russia is no longer severely short of personnel as it was in the fall, when it lost large swaths of the northeast to a Ukrainian counteroffensive.
But even with more troops and firepower, Russia could at best only make strides, encountering well-prepared Ukrainian positions with defense lines heavily fortified by nearly a decade of fighting.
On the other hand, Ukrainian forces will have to deal with the persistent shortage of ammunition. Western officials have expressed concern about the rate at which Ukraine is depleting artillery stocks, firing thousands of shells a day as it defends Bahmut at all costs. Western producers are ramping up production, but it will be many months before new supplies begin to meet demand.
