Military reports advances on flanks of Bakhmut

Ukrainian forces continue to gradually advance on the flanks of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast, the Eastern Command spokesperson Serhii Cherevatyi told national television on July 2.

Ukrainian forces are “pressuring” Russian troops and liberating the territories, Cherevatyi said.

Cherevatyi didn’t mention how far the military advanced, vowing to disclose it after the analysis on the ground.

Ukrainian forces are assaulting Russian positions on the southern and northern flanks, with a success near Klishchiivka and Kurdiumivka south of Bakhmut.

Ukraine's offensive operations near Bakhmut may force Russia to make a difficult decision on whether to pull defending forces from other regions of Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War said in its latest analysis.

Russia has already deployed reinforcements to the Bakhmut area, where Ukrainians reported making headway in clawing back captured territory, according to the report.

The anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive, launched in early June, has found limited success so far though the main force has not been committed yet, with several settlements liberated from Russian control, including territories occupied since 2014.

Ukraine's forces are advancing daily by "at least 500 meters" despite lacking military hardware like F-16 fighter jets, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi told the Washington Post, published on June 30.

General Zaluzhnyi said the counteroffensive is "not a show," commenting on some complaints of Ukraine's slow progress at the front.

"Every day, every meter is given by blood," Zaluzhnyi said.

‘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…

The Kyiv IndependentAsami Terajima