Ukraine claims important success in Bachmut

5/11/2023, 4:36:57 PM

Highlights: Ukrainian military claims to have retaken an area outside war-torn Bakhmut. According to the Ukrainian military, the Russian forces suffered heavy losses. It is not possible to verify whether the counterattack has been as successful as Ukraine claims. The Fron Line has moved slowly – in terms of metres rather than kilometres – over the last eleven months of fighting for the city, SVT has been able to geolocate one of the videos to the outskirts of Bila Hora, southwest of Bachmut.

The Ukrainian military claims to have pushed back Russian forces and retaken an area outside war-torn Bakhmut. If the information is correct, it is one of the most successful Ukrainian counterattacks that has taken place in the more than eleven months of fighting for the city.

According to the Ukrainian military, the Russian forces suffered heavy losses and Ukraine retook an area of just over eight square kilometers.

"This whole area is liberated from the Russian occupying forces," Andriy Biletskyi, one of the founders of the Azov regiment, said in a video posted on Telegram on Tuesday.

Even Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has admitted that Russian forces have had to retreat.

The Ukrainian military has released several videos purportedly showing the counterattack. SVT has been able to geolocate one of the videos to the outskirts of the village of Bila Hora, just over a mile and a half southwest of Bachmut. But it is not possible to verify whether the counterattack has been as successful as Ukraine claims.

Russian forces have long tried to take over the city, gradually pushing back the Ukrainian forces. The Fron Line has moved slowly – in terms of metres rather than kilometres.

However, Ukrainian soldier Andriy Babityev, who is fighting in Bakhmut himself, has downplayed the significance of the counterattack. Hear why in the video.