West of Soldaar, Ukraine - Ukraine's top ground forces commander said on Thursday that after being on the defensive for four months, Ukrainian troops will launch a long-awaited counterassault "very soon" now that Russia's massive winter offensive is losing steam without taking Bakhmut.
The remarks were the clearest indication yet from Kyiv that it is on the verge of changing tactics after absorbing Russia's onslaught over the winter and preventing Moscow from claiming its first victory since last August.
In a social media post, Kyiv's ground forces commander Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that Russia's Wagner mercenaries, who are attempting to capture Bakhmut in the war's longest and bloodiest battle, "are losing considerable strength and are running out of steam"
Reuters journalists stationed near the front line north of Bakhmut noticed signs that the Russian offensive in the area was waning. The intensity of Russian bombardment had noticeably decreased at a Ukrainian-held village west of Soledar on Bakhmut's northern outskirts compared to a Reuters visit nearby just two days earlier. According to a Ukrainian soldier with the call sign "Kamin" or "stone," the enemy's air strikes were quieter, with only one helicopter attack that was too far and ineffective. Last year's Ukrainian counteroffensives proved pivotal in the war, recapturing large swaths of territory.
Russia's assault on Bakhmut may have slowed due to Moscow diverting troops and resources elsewhere. Britain said on Thursday that Russian troops had made gains further north this month, regaining control of the approaches to the Ukrainian target town of Kreminna. The Wagner mercenary boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has issued pessimistic statements in recent days, warning of a Ukrainian counterassault. If confirmed, any shift in momentum in Bakhmut would be remarkable given the city's symbolic importance as the focal point of Russia's offensive, as well as the magnitude of losses suffered by both sides.
Kyiv has withdrawn Russian forces in the second half of 2022, but the front lines have been largely frozen since November. Moscow has sent hundreds of thousands of reservists and prisoners into battles that both sides refer to as "meat grinders." Ukraine appeared to be pulling its troops out of Bakhmut weeks ago, but instead decided to stay and fight, a major risk given the need to preserve forces for a counterattack later this year. On the other hand, Ukrainian commanders claimed that the battle was weakening Russia's forces more than their own. Britain's defense ministry reported on Wednesday that Ukraine had launched a local counterattack to relieve pressure on the main supply route used to supply Kyiv's forces within the city.
On Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy continued his tour of frontline provinces, visiting Kherson in the south and meeting troops near Bakhmut. He shared a video of himself speaking with residents of Posad Pokrovske, a bombed-out village recaptured in Ukraine's last major advance last year. President Vladimir Putin hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping in Moscow for a three-day state visit, his most grand diplomatic gesture since the war began a year ago. In public, Xi barely mentioned the Ukraine conflict.
Russia invaded Ukraine last February, claiming that Kyiv's ties to the West posed a security threat. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians and soldiers have been killed since then, and Russia has destroyed Ukrainian cities and forced millions to flee. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin last week on charges of war crimes, accusing him of illegally deporting Ukrainian children. Dmitry Medvedev, a Putin ally, stated that arresting Putin would be equivalent to declaring war on Russia.
Source: Reuters