Ukraine says Bakhmut situation stabilising, Putin plays down tank shortage
- Seven-month fight for Bakhmut, where Russian forces have closed in on three sides, is the longest battle of the war
- Vladimir Putin told state TV that Russia planned to build and upgrade 1,600 tanks over the next three years, well above the 440 he said the West would supply Ukraine
The top commander of Ukraine’s military said on Saturday that his forces were pushing back against Russian troops in the long and grinding battle for the town of Bakhmut, and British military intelligence says Russia appears to be moving to a defensive strategy in eastern Ukraine.
“The Bakhmut direction is the most difficult. Thanks to the titanic efforts of the defence forces, the situation is being stabilised,” General Valerii Zaluzhnyi said in a post on Telegram giving a synopsis of a telephone call with Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, Britain’s chief of defence staff.
The seven-month fight for Bakhmut, where Russian forces have closed in on three sides, is the longest battle of the war, with Russia deploying both regular soldiers and fighters of the mercenary Wagner Group.
Russian forces must go through Bakhmut to push deeper into parts of the eastern Donbas region, though Western officials say the capture of the city would have limited impact on the course of the war.
Britain’s Defence Ministry said in its latest intelligence update that “Russia’s assault on the Donbas town of Bakhmut has largely stalled. This is likely primarily a result of extreme attrition of the Russian force.”
Military experts say there are clear signs Russia is running short of equipment, particularly heavy tanks.
President Vladimir Putin told state television that Russia planned to build and upgrade a total of 1,600 tanks over the next three years, well above the 440 he said Western nations would supply Ukraine over the same period.