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Defense Ministry reports escalation on Bakhmut front line, advances on southern flank

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Defense Ministry reports escalation on Bakhmut front line, advances on southern flank
Ukrainian soldiers from the 60th Battalion of Territorial Defense are shooting rounds into Russian positions with an S60 anti-aircraft canon outside Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast on June 19. (Photo Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The battlefield situation has "escalated again" in the Bakhmut area, with two sides trying to gain the initiative, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar reported on July 3.

Ukrainian forces are advancing on the city's southern flank, near the village of Klishchiivka, said Maliar.

"However, the situation is changing very rapidly. Control over the same positions can be lost and regained twice a day," the official added.

According to Maliar, Russian forces quickly react to Ukraine's actions, setting up "three lines of defense in threatening directions."

Ukrainian troops started offensive operations in the Bakhmut direction around June 24, gradually advancing on the southern and northern flanks.

As Maliar said earlier, Bakhmut has a developed system of engineering fortifications and strongholds, but it's currently occupied by the Russian army, which complicates the city's liberation.

According to the Institute for the Study of War, Ukraine's offensive operations near Bakhmut may pressure Russia into making a difficult decision to redeploy its forces from other Ukrainian territories.

‘It’s a lottery’: How Ukraine’s assault brigade counterattacks near Bakhmut
Editor’s note: The Kyiv Independent spent a day with soldiers from the 80th Separate Assault Brigade in June, and the story is comprised of interviews with them about their experience near Bakhmut. The soldiers are identified by their names or callsigns, and their deployment locations are not reveal…
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Dinara Khalilova

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Dinara Khalilova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a news editor. In the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she worked as a fixer and local producer for Sky News’ team in Ukraine. Dinara holds a BA in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a Master’s degree in media and communication from the U.K.’s Bournemouth University.

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