Russia is massing nearly 200,000 troops in eastern Ukraine in a crucial new phase of the war. According to Kiev, Moscow has deployed over 180 thousand soldiers on the two main eastern fronts, that of Lyman-Kupiansk and that of Bakhmut. The data was provided on television by Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesman for the eastern group of Ukrainian forces.
“Over 180,000 troops have been deployed in our area of responsibility. The Lyman-Kupiansk front is the longest, and the enemy is concentrating forces on it. Meanwhile, there are 50,000 men on Bakhmut’s front“said the spokesman, calling the deployment “rather massive”. The new Russian maneuver also includes units formed with the recruitment of prisoners.
BAKHMUT, FIGHT FOR EVERY METER
The eastern front remains the hottest, as confirmed by the deputy defense minister, Hanna Maliar. “The situation is changing very rapidly”, she said, focusing in particular on Bakhmut, who for months has been at the center of fierce clashes in which, for Russia, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner played a fundamental role.
“Control of the same positions can be lost and regained a couple of times a day,” he said, describing an extremely dynamic picture, also confirmed by the words of General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of the land armed forces.
“The enemy is trying to transfer units along the most dangerous lines, in an attempt to destabilize the situation, cause losses to Ukraine and damage the logistics of the defense forces,” he explained, noting that Chasiv Yar, about 15 km west of Bakhmut, is an incandescent area. “The resurgents are desperately trying to keep Wagner’s previous positions,” he said.
