Videos on social media indicate that Russian troops in the areas around Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region are suffering heavy casualties, although they hold some territory, especially in the south of the city.
Some Ukrainian military drone videos show Russian troops in holes and trenches being targeted by explosive charges dropped from the drones. Other ground-level videos show the bodies of Russian soldiers littering the countryside.
A video recorded by the Ukrainian military and posted on Telegram shows different weapons systems being used in a coordinated attack on Russian positions, including 155mm howitzers and mortars. From some videos it appears that the Russian positions have little protection and are exposed in the open countryside.
Russian forces have been attacking the area around Bakhmut for months, and more recently have sent newly mobilized but less experienced units.
Some Russian units, including those affiliated with the Wagner group, appear to have made gradual progress, capturing a number of small villages south of the city. On Thursday, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that, “as a result of the offensive actions of the Russian troops, the settlement of Kurdiumivka of the Donetsk People’s Republic was completely liberated from the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine” .
The Ministry of Defense had previously announced the seizure of three other settlements, but they are all small towns.
What Ukraine says: Ukrainians say fighting continues in the area and that during combat missions near Kurdiumivka, Ukrainian forces destroyed three ammunition depots, a mortar crew “and enemy manpower “.
Analysts say the Ukrainians also clearly have casualties as they are targeted by Russian artillery and tanks. The Ukrainian military has said fighting continues in many areas near Bakhmut, but has not acknowledged losing any ground.
Ukraine’s National Guard said that over the past week, units had repelled enemy attacks in Donetsk’s Bakhmut and Avdiivka sectors and “destroyed ammunition depots, enemy equipment and personnel.”
His spokesman said that in the strikes near the northeastern outskirts of Bakhmut, “the enemy’s losses amounted to 79 servicemen, of which 46 were unrecoverable.
A CNN crew in nearby Kramatorsk reported hearing heavy artillery exchanges for much of Thursday.
In its latest analysis, the Institute for the Study of War says the Russian campaign around Bakhmut indicates “that Russian forces have fundamentally failed to learn from previous high-casualty campaigns focused on limited operational or strategic importance”.