General Staff: Ukrainian forces make further gains south of Bakhmut

Ukrainian troops have achieved localized successes in the area of Klishchiivka south of Bakhmut, currently entrenching the regained positions, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on July 7.

The military continues its offensive on Bakhmut's northern and southern flanks, which started around June 24, according to the report.

In the past day, Ukrainian forces also repelled Russian attacks near the village of Berkhivka about 3 kilometers northwest of Bakhmut, added the General Staff.

On July 3, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said that the battlefield situation had "escalated again" in the Bakhmut area, with two sides trying to gain the initiative.

According to Maliar, Bakhmut has a developed system of engineering fortifications and strongholds currently occupied by the Russian army, which complicates the city's liberation.

The Institute for the Study of War wrote in its July 1 update that Ukraine's offensive operations near Bakhmut might pressure Russia into making a difficult decision to redeploy its forces from other Ukrainian territories.

Ukrainian commanders have said that the ongoing counteroffensive in the country's east and south is developing according to the plan, but the military has yet to deploy its full potential.

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