Intense fighting has resumed in Bakhmut, with Ukrainian forces making gains along the northern and southern parts of the city, the U.K. Defense Ministry wrote in its intelligence update on July 8.
According to the U.K. Defense Ministry, Russian officials "almost certainly see it as politically unacceptable to concede Bakhmut" given its symbolic importance as one of the few "victories" claimed by the Russian military in recent months.
However, Russian forces are struggling to hold the city. The U.K. Defense Ministry attributed this to "struggling with poor morale, a mix of disparate units and a limited ability to find and strike Ukrainian artillery."
The battle of Bakhmut raged for over 10 months with Wagner mercenary group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin declaring at the end of May that his forces had captured the city.
Wagner's forces gradually began to retreat from the city to be replaced by the regular Russian army.
Ukrainian officials never formally acknowledged the loss of Bakhmut and Ukrainian forces have been engaged in combat with the Russian military along the outskirts of the city since late May.
