Russian forces are putting increased pressure on Ukrainian forces defending Bakhmut, according to British military intelligence on Saturday, and fierce battle is occurring in and around the eastern city.
After the fiercest fight of the conflict, Russian artillery pounded the final escape routes from Bakhmut on Friday in an effort to completely encircle the beleaguered Ukrainian city and push Moscow closer to its first significant win in half a year.
According to Reuters, Russia has been heavily pounding the roads going west from Bakhmut in an apparent effort to obstruct Ukrainian forces’ access to and from the city. Russian tank shelling destroyed a bridge in the nearby village of Khromove.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of Russia’s Wagner mercenary force, said in a video Bakhmut was “practically surrounded” by his forces and Kyiv’s forces had only one road out left.
