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☆ Avdiivka: Ukraine’s defeat darkens the mood in the West
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Traveling from the Munich Security Conference towards Ukraine’s frontlines, the polite frustration and manicured pleas of Western leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky feel yet more desperate. Ukrainian soldiers of Brigade 71 fire artillery in the direction of Avdiivka on February 18, 2024. Latvia’s president spoke of “murder,” Germany’s defense minister of how the death showed Russia was “willing and able to provoke” the West. Tobias Schwarz/ReutersIn and of itself, the Ukrainian defeat Avdiivka does not herald a sea change in Kyiv’s fortunes. Instead they may face larger existential questions about providing a lot more help, very urgently, to stop Ukraine’s war becoming Europe’s.

Persons: Ukraine’s frontlines, Volodymyr Zelensky, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Alexey Navalny, Putin, ”, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Zelensky –, –, Tobias Schwarz, Avdiivka, Bakhmut, —, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Oleksandr Syrsky —, Zelensky, ’, Tucker Carlson, Kostiantyn, Zaluzhnyi Organizations: CNN, Munich, Ukraine’s, Ukrainian, United States Congress, Brigade, Getty, Trump, NATO, Republican, Reuters, European Union Locations: Europe, Ukraine, Avdiivka, Anadolu, Russia, West, Munich, Germany, Moscow, Kyiv, Kupiansk, Kharkiv, Russian, Poland, frontlines, North Korea

☆ Things are going badly for Ukraine — really badly
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Read previewAs the second anniversary of Russia's unprovoked invasion approaches, the situation is beginning to look bleak for Ukraine. But the offensive failed to achieve a breakthrough, and Ukraine is now seeing crucial support from its allies bleed away. Ukraine has previously warned it may not be able to successfully defend itself against Russia without US help. The Senate on Tuesday passed a $95 billion emergency defense aid bill that could help Ukraine. According to reports, Ukraine is struggling to fight off Russian attacks, particularly around the city of Avdiivka, in Donetsk, east Ukraine.

Persons: —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Valerii Zaluzhny, Valery Zaluzhny, Zaluzhny, Ryan Evans, I'm, Patrick Bury, Michael Kofman, Zelenskyy, Mykhailo Fedorov, they've, Grant Shapps, That's, Basil Germond, Putin, Kofman, Donald Trump, Tucker Carlson Organizations: Service, Business, Representatives, Bloomberg, CNN, Washington Post, UK's University of Bath, CNA Corporation, Associated Press, Reuters, Bury, Defense Intelligence, YouTube, UK's Defence, Black, Fleet, Lancaster University, Republican, Fox News, Ukraine, Trump Locations: Ukraine, Huliaipole, Russia, —, Zelenskyy, Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Donetsk, Bury, Iran, North Korea, Al, NATO, Sevastopol, Crimea, Russian

☆ Russian forces are crashing headlong into another city using some of the same catastrophic tactics that bloodied its army in Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Russia has faced a slaughter fighting for the eastern city of Avdiivka. Ukrainian forces say they've destroyed heaps of armor, equipment, and personnel. War experts say the slaughter around Avdiivka bears similar hallmarks to the months-long battle for Bakhmut, where Moscow's catastrophic tactics badly bloodied its army, even though it eventually captured the city. There, it added, Russian forces are suffering "particularly heavy casualties." George Barros, a Russia analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, said Avdiivka presents a similar situation for Ukraine as Bakhmut did.

Persons: —, Mark Cancian, They've, Cancian, George Barros, Avdiivka, Barros, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, they've, It's, Bakhmut, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Service, US Marine Corps, Center, Strategic International Studies, Business, Institute for, Kyiv, Special Operations Forces, Ukraine, Russia, White, Avdiivka, Mechanized Brigade, Connect Locations: Russia, Avdiivka, Moscow, Bakhmut, Ukraine, Izium, Donetsk, —, Ukrainian, Donetsk region, Russian

☆ Ukraine can still badly bleed the Russian army through the winter even if its forces can't break through enemy lines, land warfare expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A land warfare expert said even if Kyiv can't break enemy lines, it can still cause pain for Russian forces. But even if Kyiv's forces aren't necessarily able to break through the enemy lines, they could still inflict significant damage on Moscow's army throughout the winter, a land warfare expert says. The key could be drawing out Russian forces into the cold by pushing into opportunities rather than attempting to batter their defenses. AdvertisementAdvertisement"Kyiv must balance reconstitution with a need to keep up pressure on Russian forces," he said. AdvertisementAdvertisementOne area where Ukrainian forces have found recent success is with long-range strikes.

Persons: —, aren't, Jack Watling, there's, Libkos, Watling, Getty Images Watling, Wagner Organizations: Service, Royal United Services Institute, Kyiv, Storm, EG, MGM, Tactical Missile Systems, SPG, Getty Images, Dnipro, Wagner Group Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Bakhmut, Donetsk, Ukrainian, North Korea, Britain, France, Crimean, Russian

☆ A Ukrainian sniper called the Ghost of Bakhmut says he's personally killed 113 Russians. He explains how his elite unit hunts the enemy.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

An elite Ukrainian sniper unit called the Ghosts of Bakhmut is hunting high-value Russian targets. AdvertisementAdvertisementOn the outskirts of Bakhmut, a deadly team of snipers move stealthily through the forests and fields to take out Russian targets. The Ukrainian sniper's primary weapon is the US-made Barrett M107A1The team of elite snipers take out high-value Russian targets. Insider made contact with Ghost via the Separate Presidential Brigade, which his sniper unit is a part of. AdvertisementAdvertisementHe used to be known as Casper, and said he got the call sign Ghost when Russia invaded the country in February 2022.

Persons: Ghost, —, he's, Bakhmut —, Barrett M107A1, American Barrett M107A1, Barrett, Wagner, Lola, Casper, Casper — Organizations: Service, BBC, Presidential Brigade, Wagner Group Locations: Ukrainian, Bakhmut, US, Burj Khalifa, Dubai, American, Ukraine, Russia, Ukraine's Crimean, Canada, Lithuania

☆ Wagner fighters, some of the best in the Russian ranks, are back in Ukraine, but they're not as much of a threat without Prigozhin running the show, Kyiv says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

After a long hiatus, Wagner Group mercenaries are back on the battlefield, Ukraine's military says. AdvertisementAdvertisementWagner Group mercenaries are back in Ukraine after a lengthy absence from the battlefield. These fighters appear to be some of the best within the Russian ranks, but the threat is still low without their leader, Kyiv's military says. It's been several months since Wagner mercenaries last saw combat in eastern Ukraine. They captured the city in May, but amid the bloody campaign led to tensions flared between Wagner and the regular Russian military, ultimately leading to the mutiny.

Persons: Wagner, they're, Yevgeny Prigozhin, —, It's, Illya, REUTERS Yevlash, Yevlash, Africa —, Stringer, Mykhailo Podolyak, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Podolyak Organizations: Wagner Group, Service, Wagner, Telegram, REUTERS, RBC, Institute for, Southern Military District, Russian Defense Ministry Locations: Belarus, Russian, Bakhmut, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Africa, Ukrainian, Washington, Rostov, Don

☆ Former Wagner fighters are having to find new careers. One started a 'Wagner Taxi' company using the group's logo.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former Wagner Group soldiers are being forced to seek out new employment, per Russian reports. One soldier has started a taxi company named after the notorious mercenary group. Valery Bogdanov, a resident of Bolotnoye in Russia's southern Novosibirsk region, has even printed business cards using the Wagner Group's emblem of a grinning skull against a set of wings, Russian outlet VN.ru reported. Both Prigozhin and the rumored co-founder of the Wagner Group, Dmitry Utkin, were on the passenger list of the flight that plunged catastrophically to earth on August 23, 2023. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe representative also said the group had been forced to look for more opportunities in Africa and the Middle East, Important Stories reported.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Valery Bogdanov, Wagner, Bogdanov, they're, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Dmitry Utkin, catastrophically, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Central African Republic —, — Wagner, Touadera Organizations: Wagner Group, Service, Wagner, Daily, Central African, Eye, Faustin, Kremlin Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russian, Bolotnoye, Russia's, Novosibirsk, Ukraine, Donetsk, Bakhmut, Africa, Central African Republic

☆ Western defense officials urge Ukraine to focus counteroffensive resources on southern push — even if it means heavy troop and equipment losses
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Western officials think Ukraine misallocated its counteroffensive resources, The New York Times reported. Defense strategists want Ukraine to focus its efforts on pushing toward the south. But a southern push could result in troop and equipment losses, the outlet reported. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. But Ben Hodges, a retired lieutenant general and former commander of US Army Europe, cautioned against counting Ukraine out too soon.

Persons: Ben Hodges, Hodges, Mark, Ukraine's Organizations: New York Times, Defense, Service, US Army, Ukrainian, Times, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Crimea materializes Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Crimea, Bakhmut, Zaporizhzhia, US Army Europe

☆ Ukraine's counteroffensive is facing off against Wagner's successor group, Storm Z, on the outskirts of Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine's counteroffensive is running into Wagner's successor group, Storm Z, in Bakhmut. The group is mostly conscripts, reservists, and convicts, The Washington Post said. Storm Z, however, doesn't consist of mercenaries like Wagner, which defined itself with a culture of extreme violence. Ukraine has said that Storm Z shows extremely low combat capability, according to a press release translated by Pravada. Wagner troops declared victory in Bakhmut — a once-bustling city now a ghost town left in ruins — in May.

Persons: Storm Z, Wagner, Pravada, Bakhmut —, Yevgeny Prigozhin's Organizations: Washington Post, Service, Ukraine, Storm, Wagner Group, Main Intelligence, Ministry of Defense, Russian Locations: Bakhmut, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russian, —, Russia

☆ The Kremlin spent over $1 billion on Wagner's mercenary army just to see them capture a destroyed city and then turn around and invade Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Vladimir Putin revealed that the Kremlin spent over $1 billion on the Wagner Group over the past year. The Moscow-funded mercenaries spent months capturing one almost totally destroyed city in Ukraine. Servicemen of the Wagner Group military company guard an area at the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Private military companies like the Wagner Group are technically illegal in Russia. The potential for significant bloodshed was averted, but not before the Kremlin-financed Wagner Group managed to down several Russian aircraft and kill the pilots.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, —, Wagner, Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Mark Milley, Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, they'd, Antony Blinken, they've Organizations: Kremlin, Wagner Group, Service, Defense Ministry, Southern Military District, Private, Bakhmut, French Army, AP, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Reuters, Saturday, CBS News Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Russia, Bakhmut, Concord, Rostov, Don, Africa, East, Donetsk, Mali, Belarus, Kyiv

☆ Wagner Group leader is criticizing Putin's botched war plans in Ukraine again because he didn't get a reward for capturing Bakhmut, Western intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wagner Group chief Prigozhin criticized Putin after not receiving a reward for capturing Bakhmut. Prigozhin has feuded with both Putin and the Russian Ministry of Defense regarding Bakhmut, ISW said. Russian state media has effectively banned reporting on Wagner, Prigozhin said. While it's not clear what reward Prigozhin would have received, the complications around his capture of Bakhmut may indicate a reluctance from Putin and Russian military leaders to reward him, according to the ISW. Prigozhin said Wagner troops took control of Bakhmut on May 10, and cleared the city on May 21, later blaming the delay on the lack of ammunition provided by the Russian Ministry of Defense, ISW stated.

☆ Ukrainian soldiers in Bakhmut say fighting regular Russian troops will be 'not as hard' as fighting Wagner troops because they're inexperienced
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukrainian soldiers in Bakhmut say fighting regular Russian troops will be easier than Wagner forces. Troops told The Washington Post that Wagner Group's "unorthodox strategies" were hard to deal with. "Fighting with regular Russian forces is not as hard as fighting with Wagner," he told the Post. "Whereas the Russians, they're young, they're fresh, they're new, and they basically just walk out. While it may be a meaningless victory, the intense combat has left Russian forces exhausted ahead of Ukraine's long-awaited counteroffensive.

☆ Russia is claiming victory in Bakhmut, but the price it paid for it 'doesn't bode well' for Putin's bigger plans, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Russian forces are claiming victory in Bakhmut, a city in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region. Russian leadership praised Wagner for its achievements in the devastated city of Bakhmut and promised the presentation of state awards. Casualty estimates likely skew significantly higher for Russian forces. AdvertisementAdvertisementBy April 11, Russian forces occupied over 76 percent of the city, according to a terrain assessment from the ISW think tank. An aerial view of Bakhmut, the site of heavy battles with Russian troops in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Sunday, March 26, 2023.

Persons: it's, —, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Gen, Oleksandr Syrskiy, Bakhmut, Wagner, ISW, Russia's, Vladimir Putin's, bode, Jeffrey Edmonds, Jens Stoltenberg, Marina Miron, Zelenskyy, Putin, Miron, Edmonds Organizations: Military, Service, Wagner Group, Institute for, CIA, AP Moscow, Russian, NATO, CNN, Moscow, AP, King's College London's Centre, Military Ethics, Bakhmut Locations: Bakhmut, Ukraine's Donetsk, Ukrainian, Moscow, Washington, Ukraine, Berlin, Soviet, Stalingrad, Russia, Kyiv, Donbas, Donetsk, Kramatorsk, Moreso

☆ Zelenskyy says images of Hiroshima annihilated by the atomic bomb remind him of Bakhmut — and give him hope that Ukraine can rebuild
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

While in Hiroshima for the G-7 summit, Zelenskyy likened the city's destruction in WW2 to Bakhmut. The Ukrainian president made the comparison after visiting the atomic bomb museum, the NYT reported. At a press conference, the Ukrainian president said the atomic bomb's explosion in 1945 produced imagery and memories that evoke the mass destruction seen across Ukraine today, Politico reported. The children, little babies, before their death, and we have similar pictures unfortunately" in Ukraine," he said, according to Politico. Zelenskyy and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attend the Cenotaph for the Victims of the Atomic Bomb.

☆ Russia says Ukrainian city of Bakhmut captured
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Maxar satellite imagery comparing the before/after destruction of the Bakhmut high school and homes in Bakhmut, Ukraine. Russia claimed on Saturday to have fully captured the smashed eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, which would mark an end to the longest and bloodiest battle of the 15-month war. Taking Bakhmut — which Russia refers to by its Soviet-era name of Artyomovsk — would represent Moscow's first big victory in the conflict in more than 10 months. The claims came after a week in which Ukrainian forces have made their most rapid gains for six months on Bakhmut's northern and southern flanks. Ukrainian military spokesperson Serhiy Cherevatyi, reacting to Prigozhin's comments before Russia's announcement, had told Reuters: "This is not true.

☆ Zelenskiy likens Bakhmut's devastation to Hiroshima after World War Two
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 21 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy likened the ruins of Ukraine's eastern city of Bakhmut with the destruction of Hiroshima in World War Two, as he attended the Group of Seven summit in the Japanese city on Sunday. "I'll tell you openly: Photographs of ruined Hiroshima absolutely remind me of Bakhmut and other similar settlements. Zelenskiy told the press conference that Ukrainian forces were continuing to fighting inside the city of Bakhmut and were carrying out "important tasks". He added that he would like to see the same kind of successful reconstruction that Hiroshima experienced in places like Bakhmut once the war is over. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova mocked Zelenskiy's comparison, saying the United States bombed Hiroshima and provided military support for Ukraine.

☆ Ukraine has exploited Russia's monthslong 'Bakhmut fixation' as it reclaims territory and sends Russian soldiers running from the 'meat grinder,' military expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ukraine gained an advantage over Russia by doggedly defending Bakhmut, a military expert told Insider. "The Russians have had a Bakhmut fixation," said Mick Ryan, a retired Maj. Gen. in the Australian army. The Ukrainian military does not release casualty numbers, but military experts believe the country has suffered significant losses in Bakhmut, though notably fewer than Russia. Ukraine shared a video last week of Russian soldiers running away from the city while being chased by armored vehicles. "We lured the enemy into a Bakhmut trap," Cherevatiy, the Ukrainian spokesperson, told The Journal.

☆ Russia's army took just 6.8 square miles of Ukrainian territory in April, less than a 0.02% increase, US think tank says, as military losses mount
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia increased its Ukraine territory by 0.016% in April, the Institute for the Study of War told Insider. That's just 6.76 square miles, as its troop losses continue and Ukraine readies for a counterattack. Washington DC-based think tank Institute for the Study of War told Insider that Russia held just 6.76 square miles more Ukrainian territory on April 31 than it did in April 1, according to its mapping data. Russia saw territorial gains of 0.039% in February, the think tank previously told Insider, followed by 0.28% in March, the equivalent of 115.9 square miles. Ukraine's prime minister told Sky News last week that the offensive will start at the "proper time, when it will be absolutely ready."

☆ Russia is using a new delivery of Iran's Shahed drones to strike Ukraine to make up for a lack of precision munitions, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia used Iranian Shahed exploding drones to strike Ukraine, an ISW report said. It is aiming to "offset the degradation" of its precision munition supply, the think tank said. The Russian military used drones to target Kyiv for the first time in 25 days. Iran is becoming a global leader in the production of deadly and effective drones, the Guardian reported in February, despite the country previously denying involvement in Ukraine. Iran's Shahed-136, and its smaller cousin, the Shahed-131, which Russia is also using, are loitering munitions that are a cross between a drone and a missile.

☆ A filmmaker risked sniper fire to capture the Ukraine war for a powerful documentary, and the new trailer just dropped
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia's unprovoked war in Ukraine has been ongoing for nearly 14 months. Levy, 74, filmed on battlefields across the country — from Kharkiv in the northeast, Kherson in the south, and the capital city Kyiv. Insider also interviewed Levy this week to discuss his experience while reporting in Ukraine, what he observed on the ground, and his overall thoughts on the war. Courtesy photoQ: Ukraine has sustained huge casualties in defending itself, as you document. Courtesy photoQ: Are you concerned that support for Ukraine is becoming increasingly unfashionable in France and the West more generally?

☆ After the next round of major fighting with Russia, Ukraine may be living 'paycheck to paycheck' with Western gear, expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US and its NATO partners have provided Ukraine with heaping military aid to start the year. But after the next round of fighting with Russia, Ukraine could find itself hamstrung by support. With more intense fighting on the horizon, there are doubts about whether Western countries will be able to maintain that level of support. "However this offensive goes, Ukraine is going to lose personnel, it's going to lose equipment, and it's going to spend a lot of ammunition," Kofman said. After a future offensive, Ukraine's military will have to replenish its stocks of artillery ammunition and replace its troop losses.

☆ Ukrainian sniper says there's no duels like in movies and that he prefers his AK to his expensive sniper rifle for front-line fighting
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukrainian snipers recently spoke with Military Times about their evolving role in the Ukraine war. The soldier added that he prefers to use a Kalashnikov rifle over his expensive, long-range sniper weapon. "Sniper duels are just a silly thing from the movies," Artyom told Military Times, adding that when Russian troops "really want to get us, they use mortars — or if we're really unlucky, white phosphorus." One of Artyom's students, who goes by Yevhen, said in an interview with Military Times that there is "not much need for snipers" around Bakhmut. "The enemy attempts to take full control of the city of Bakhmut, continuing the assault," it said in a Facebook update.

☆ Ukraine's tank force shouldn't stand a chance against Russia's on paper, but dumb mistakes keep tipping the scales
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Russia has more tanks than Ukraine, more updated tanks than Ukraine, and more tank options. All three Western tank models are larger than most Russian tanks and are "quite survivable" thanks to their advanced armor, according to Edmonds. It's still unclear when the Western tanks will arrive or what role they will ultimately play in Ukraine's future offensives. "This stalemated frontline where we are right now, this is not a good environment for tanks," Cancian said. But the number of incoming Western tanks — less than 150 — is unlikely to change the tides of war.

☆ Days after Putin's dead-of-night trip to a city far from the front, Zelenskyy visited the heart of the bloodiest fighting in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( John Haltiwanger | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Days after Putin's dead-of-night trip in Ukraine, Zelenskyy visited troops near the front lines. State media followed the Russian President meeting with residents who told him the occupied, war-torn Ukrainian city is a "little piece of paradise." Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) visits a recently renovated theater in Mariupol. In the original video, Putin meets with local residents near a new apartment complex in the dead of night. Zelenskyy visits troops fighting on the front lines in BakhmutUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks with troops near the front lines of Bakhmut.

☆ Russia's assault on Bakhmut is losing the limited momentum it had, says UK intel, complicating its best chance at a symbolic victory
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's efforts to take the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut seem to be losing momentum, the UK MOD said. Bakhmut has huge symbolic importance to Russia, and failing to take it would be a big blow. The city is one of the few places Russia has made recent progress, as its latest offensive fails to grow. The UK MOD said that momentum may be slipping "partially because some Russian MoD units have been reallocated to other sectors." The UK MOD said in December that capturing Bakhmut would have "limited operational value" for Russia.

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