Ukraine. Ground Forces Commander: successful counter-attacks in the Bakhmut area, enemy pushed back 2 kilometers in places

“Thanks to the well-thought-out defense in the direction of Bachmuth, we have the results of the effective actions of our troops. Among other things, we are conducting successful counterattacks. In some sections, the enemy could not withstand the onslaught of Ukrainian defenders and retreated to a distance of up to 2 km,” Syrski wrote in Telegram.

Syrski also reported that in some areas Wagner’s mercenaries were forced to hand over their positions to regular Russian troops, which are less prepared.

“Despite a large concentration of troops and loud declarations by Russian military criminals about their intention to capture Bakhmut by May 9, the enemy failed to take the city,” Syrski noted.

The general singled out the military of the 3rd Independent Assault Brigade, which “hit the enemy hard in combat”.

Reporting on the situation in the Bakhmut area, the spokesman for the Eastern Group of Forces of the Ukrainian army, Serhiy Cherevaty, said on Ukrainian television that enemy forces are conducting massive shelling of Ukrainian positions, and the situation is “difficult, but under control”.

“During the day, there were 524 shellings in this direction, the enemy was shelling our positions. Therefore, reports of a shortage of ammunition (on the Russian side) are fake news,” Czerewaty said, quoted by the Ukrinform agency.

He reported that there were 28 clashes, 10 air raids. Russian losses were 203 killed and 216 wounded. Five people were taken prisoner.

Destroyed e.g. 11 enemy infantry fighting vehicles, two armored personnel carriers, five field ammunition magazines and one drone.

Czerewaty also said that the forces of the Wagner Group are losing “at least 100 men every day, more recently, and they have no sources of replenishment.”

Bakhmut, which is almost completely razed to the ground, the Russians have been trying to occupy for more than nine months. Currently, fighting is taking place both in and around the city, and the Ukrainian side lists this section as the “epicenter” of fighting on the entire front in the east of the country.

According to reports, the forces of the Wagner Group fight in the city on the Russian side, and the flanks around the city are covered by troops of regular Russian troops.