Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar reported on June 7 that Ukrainian forces have gone on the offensive near Bakhmut, making advances ranging from 200 to 1,100 meters.
Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi also said that Ukrainian forces were advancing on Russian flanks near Bakhmut and Russian forces were losing ground.
The regular Russian army has been in the process of replacing Russia's Wagner mercenary group near Bakhmut.
Maliar previously reported on June 3 that some mercenaries were still located near Bakhmut, despite Wagner group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin declaring that troop withdrawal would be completed by June 1.
According to Maliar, the remaining Wagner mercenaries were training regular troops. Prigozhin announced that Wagner troops would withdraw after claiming that Bakhmut had been captured on May 20.
Kyiv did not formally acknowledge the claim.
While fighting near Bakhmut is still ongoing, the once-prosperous industrial city in Donetsk Oblast which was home to over 70,000 people has been destroyed.
Francis Farrell
