Wagner mercenaries continue to retreat from Bakhmut. It will be difficult for Russian regular troops to replace them in positions in the city.

This is the conclusion made by analysts at the American Institute for the Study of War. Earlier, the leader of the Wagner PKK, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said that his mercenaries continue to give up positions in Bakhmut to the Russian Ministry of Defense and retreat. >Ukrainian sources claim that Wagner troops are still present in Bakhmut, but the pace of Russian offensive operations around the city continues to decline.

Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Anna Malyar noted that in the vicinity of Bakhmut, Wagner units are being replaced came regular Russian units. Probably referring to areas on the flanks around Bakhmut.

Possibility of new UAF operations

UAF is conducting localized counterattacks on the flanks of the city. Analysts are convinced that the slowdown in Russian offensive operations in the Bakhmut area is likely to further the Ukrainian forces in the area the initiative to launch a new phase of operations around the city if they so choose.

Ukrainian forces have conducted successful counterattacks in the area Orekhovo-Vasilovka (11 kilometers from Bakhmut) and Kleschievka (7 kilometers). In particular, Ukrainian counterattacks in the Orekhovo-Vasilovka region forced the units of the Veteran PKK to retreat up to a kilometer from the positions previously occupied in this area.