Ukrainian military commanders announced on Friday that their troops had regained further ground from Russian forces in the eastern city of Bakhmut.
The commanders of Ukraine's 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, a special forces unit that led the attack, stated that the recaptured 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) of territory south of Bakhmut represents a significant gain and will protect an important supply chain, according to AP News.
While meeting with the senior military leaders on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed that Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi told him that his troops had "stopped the enemy" and even drove them away in certain areas.
On Friday, Russia's defense ministry acknowledged that Ukrainian forces were successfully reclaiming territory around Bakhmut, a city that has been under attack by Russia for over 10 months, The Guardian reported.
The ministry claimed that some of its troops had fallen back to more advantageous defensive positions near a reservoir northwest of the city.
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Russian Forces Losing a Lot
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, expressed concern that the situation near Bakhmut was developing according to the worst-case scenario, with the hard-earned territory being lost, per The Independent.
Prigozhin argued that it is the responsibility of regular Russian forces to protect Wagner's flanks near the city, which is at the center of the longest and deadliest battle of the Russia-Ukraine war.
The Russian defense ministry mentioned that its paratroopers were trapping Ukrainian army formations on the flanks while advancing on the city's west side.
According to White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, Bakhmut remains a contested area, with Ukrainians refusing to surrender their defense and Russians refusing to abandon their attempts to capture the city.
Nevertheless, it is unclear if the latest development in the Russia-Ukraine war marks the beginning of Kyiv's long-anticipated counteroffensive.
Despite the limited strategic value of Bakhmut, the US maintains that Russia has suffered significant losses of troops and weaponry in the battle for the former salt-mining area.
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