The British Ministry of Defence in its daily report analyses russia's desire to take Bakhmut at any cost, investing a disproportionate amount of forces and means in this task.
Source. Twitter account of the Ministry of Defence.
Details. A significant part of russian ground forces and firepower is still concentrated along the 15-kilometer front line around Donetsk Oblast and the town of Bakhmut and is aimed at taking the city.
Apparently, russia plans to encircle the town, gradually advancing north and south of it. In recent days, russia has highly likely made small advances on the southern axis of this assault, where it is seeking to consolidate limited bridgeheads to the west of the boggy ground around the minor Bakhmutka River, the report says.
Russia has prioritised Bakhmut as its main offensive effort since early August. The capture of the town would have limited operational value although it would potentially allow russia to threaten the larger urban areas of Kramatorsk and Slovyansk, experts state.
The Bakhmut advance, however, has been disproportionately costly relative to these possible gains. There is a realistic possibility that Bakhmut's capture has become primarily a symbolic, political objective for russia, writes the British Ministry of Defence.
Emine Dzheppar, First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine, shared footage of Bakhmut – or rather, of what was left of it.
She said russian forces continued to use the same tactics they had used in Mariupol – trying to surround the city.