A Russian agency reported that the forces of the Russian military Wagner Group are fighting fierce battles in the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region (eastern Ukraine), while a Russian source said that Moscow will deploy an advanced system to counter missiles and drones.

The Russian "Anna News" agency said that Wagner's militia had begun to invade the towns of "Krasnoye" west of Bakhmut and Dilevka, south of the city.

She added that fierce battles were taking place inside Bakhmut, and confirmed the continued progress of the Russian forces in the north of the city of Solidar, where they began launching offensive operations in the Razdolovka area, according to her statement.

Until now, Kyiv confirms that the city of Bakhmut - which was inhabited by about 10,000 people before the war - is under the control of its forces.

Months ago, the Russian Wagner forces launched an attack on the city in order to control it and open the way for the Russian regular forces towards the cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, two of the largest cities in the Donbass region, the industrial basin of Ukraine, parts of which the pro-Moscow separatists took control of in 2014.

Earlier this month, after fierce battles and attacks that lasted for weeks, Wagner militants, backed by the Russian army, took control of the city of Solidar, which includes salt mining mines.

Ukrainian military leaders say that during the Battle of Solidar, the Wagner militia adopted the tactic of attacking in waves using large numbers of infantry, including recruited prisoners.

Ukrainian helicopter carrying out a combat operation near the city of Bakhmut (French)

A difficult situation

For his part, Al-Jazeera correspondent quoted Ukrainian military sources as saying that the situation in the town of Oglidar in the Donetsk region is difficult, but it is under control.

The sources said that the Ukrainian forces are repelling the attempts of the Russian forces to advance and incurring heavy losses in Uglidar and in other axes in the Donbass region.

On the other hand, the pro-Russian authorities in Donetsk described the fighting near Oglidar as violent.

These authorities announced that the Russian forces were stationed in the eastern and southeastern parts, and now controlled the villages surrounding the city.

She pointed out that what hinders storming the city is the presence of an industrial zone used by Ukrainian forces as fortified sites, as they did in the salt mines in Solidar, and the "Azovstal" complex in Mariupol, which fell to the Russian army last May after fierce resistance.

Also in Donetsk, the Ukrainian regional governor reported that 3 civilians were killed and two others wounded in the city of Kostenivka, west of the province, as a result of Russian missile strikes.

Russian forces, backed by the Wagner militia, are launching simultaneous attacks in several axes in the Donbass region, as well as in Zaporizhia and Kherson provinces (south).

Russia had mobilized hundreds of thousands of reservists in an effort to penetrate the Ukrainian lines in Donbass, parts of which the Russians and their loyal separatists have controlled since 2014.

"Missile Hunter"

On the other hand, an informed Russian source told "Sputnik" agency that the new "Pantsir-SM" system will be deployed in the "special military operation area" in Ukraine.

The source added that this system will be able to shoot down drones and missiles launched by the Ukrainians, including the American Himars missiles.

It is noteworthy that the range of the new "Pantsir-SM" missiles is 40 km, and it can destroy targets at an altitude of 15 km, with a speed of 2,000 meters per second.

This system can also detect various targets, including small targets, and its immunity against electronic interference has been enhanced.

The announcement of the deployment of these defense media came after the United States and Germany announced that they would send "Abrams" and "Leopard 2" tanks to Ukraine.

Ukraine's ambassador to France, Vadym Omelchenko, confirmed on Friday that the allied countries had promised to send 321 heavy tanks.