The British Ministry of Defence announced that "two major bridges in Bakhmut were destroyed in the last thirty-six hours," explaining that "one of the bridges connected Bakhmut to the last major supply route to the city from the Ukrainian-controlled town of Chasiv Yar, located about 13 kilometers to the west." The British Ministry of Defence stated in its daily intelligence update on Twitter that "Ukraine is reinforcing its defenses in the region and deploying elite units, while Russian forces and those from the Wagner Group have advanced in the northern suburbs of Bakhmut city."
British military intelligence noted today, Saturday, that "Ukrainian forces defending the city of Bakhmut are facing increased pressure from Russian troops, as fighting intensifies within and around the eastern city." The Ukrainian army command asserted that "Russia continues to attempt to encircle Bakhmut, but Ukrainian forces have repelled Russian attacks in the city for a day so far," indicating in a morning briefing today, Saturday, that "Russian attacks were repelled in the villages of Ivanivski and Bohdanivka, both located less than eight kilometers to the west of central Bakhmut."
Russia targeted the last supply routes from outside Bakhmut on Friday, with the aim of completely surrounding the city and bringing Moscow closer to achieving its first significant victory in the war in six months. Capturing the villages located on either side of the important Bakhmut-Chasiv Yar road would leave the city vulnerable to a complete Russian siege. Bakhmut has seen fierce fighting for seven months, with a population of about 70,000 before the war. Russia claims that Bakhmut will serve as a launch point for completing control over the industrial Donbas region, one of Moscow's primary objectives. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described Bakhmut as a "fortress."
