General Staff: Russian forces strengthen presence near Lyman, Bakhmut

In its regular evening update on Feb. 11, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported that Russian forces continue to focus their main efforts on offensive operations in the directions of Kupiansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Novopavlivsk in Ukraine's east and northeast.

General Staff reports Moscow is strengthening its grouping of troops near Lyman and Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast.

According to the General Staff, “despite significant losses,” Russia doesn’t give up its intention to occupy the entire Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.

In early February, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said that Russian forces had thrown all their strength into “breaking our defense and encircling Bakhmut and launched a severe offensive near Lyman.”

Maliar added, however, that Russia’s attempts to surround the town of Bakhmut had failed so far.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Feb. 3 that Ukraine “will not surrender” Bakhmut.

Russian forces, along with the Kremlin-controlled mercenary group Wagner, have been attempting to capture Bakhmut for months.

Russian troops have recently captured settlements north and south of Bakhmut and are trying to cut off all supply lines leading to the embattled town.

Capturing Bakhmut would allow Russia to disrupt Ukraine’s supply lines in the area and open up the main road leading to the two key Ukrainian cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.