Fierce battles are underway on the eastern front as Russian forces attempt to stop Ukraine's advance towards Bakhmut, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said on Aug. 1.
The Russian military continues to concentrate its personnel and equipment in the Kupiansk, Lyman, and Svatove directions, she said.
Russia is launching assaults to pull Ukrainian troops away from Bakhmut and stop the Ukrainian advance. However, the attempts are unsuccessful, Maliar added.
Russia has been concentrating forces in the area since mid-July. Kupiansk was liberated in Ukraine's surprise counteroffensive in Kharkiv Oblast in September 2022. Lyman, in Donetsk Oblast, was liberated just weeks later, but Svatove remains under Russian occupation.
According to Maliar, in the Bakhmut direction Ukrainian troops "are dealing with heavy artillery fire, mining, and strong enemy resistance," and there is an increase in incoming shelling "in all eastern directions."
On July 29, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that Ukrainian forces were continuing counteroffensive operations on the northern and southern flanks of Bakhmut.
The Ukrainian military reported gains on July 25 after Russian forces retreated from the village of Andriivka, located south of Bakhmut.
Asami Terajima
