Over the past week, russian attempts to storm the town of Vuhledar in Donetsk Oblast have slowed down.
The UK Ministry of Defence reports this, citing intelligence data.
It is noted that this followed "repeated, extremely costly failed attacks over the previous three months".
One of the factors behind russia's heavy losses in this sector was Ukraine's successful introduction of remote anti-armour mine systems (RAAM). RAAM is a specialist artillery shell which scatters anti-armour mines up to 17 km away from the firing unit.
According to the report, Ukraine has launched the mines over and behind advancing russian units, causing disarray when russian vehicles attempt to withdraw.
"russia’s only notable recent tactical success has been in the Bakhmut sector, which is dominated by Wagner Group mercenary forces, currently engaged in a public feud with the russian ministry of Defence. There is a realistic possibility that russia’s MoD has been insistent in its drive for success in Vuhledar, partially because it wants its own success to compete with Wagner’s achievements," the British intelligence notes.