The British Ministry of Defence reported that the city of Bakhmut and its surroundings have witnessed intense battles over the past two days, adding that Russian forces appear to be preparing for another attack in the Oglidar region. The British intelligence bulletin noted that Oglidar has been subjected to heavy shelling.
On Wednesday, the Russian army announced that it had carried out combat operations in the center of Artemovsk (the Russian name for Bakhmut). Jan Yagin, the assistant to the local Donetsk official, stated that fighting is indeed taking place in the city center of Artemovsk, adding in remarks on "Russia 1" television, "The initiative is now in the hands of our fighters; our forces have long entered from the northern side of Artemovsk. They are now fighting almost in the city center."
Yagin revealed that Ukrainian forces continue to fight in Bakhmut, pointing out that they incur significant casualties there daily. He told Sputnik, "If we talk about the situation in Artemovsk, they are defending it, but in any case, they will lose it. Because the truth is with us, and we are stronger." He emphasized that the Ukrainian army has failed to turn Bakhmut into a fortified city, while they have suffered considerable human losses there. Yagin stated, "Artemovsk has become a center for incurring losses for the Ukrainian armed forces, where their human resources are eliminated daily."
Observers have noted a Russian advance in northern Bakhmut, specifically in the regions of Yahodna and Berkhivka, and indicated that fighting is approaching the steel plant in Bakhmut. The steel plant in Bakhmut is similar to the Azov steel complex in Mariupol, according to reports, but it may be slightly smaller in size.
For its part, the Ukrainian army reported that it repelled about 90 attacks from Russian forces in the eastern part of the country, where their main attacks are concentrated in the regions of Kupiansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, and Avdiivka.