Russian units have taken territory in the suburbs of the strategic Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, in the Donbas region, with Russian “regular army” units and forces from the mercenary Wagner Group attacking defenders, the BBC reports.
According to a British military assessment, the Ukrainian military is sending elite units of its military to the region to defend the city, the first target in an expected Russian push to gain ground as its ineffective winter offense grinds on. The city, which had a pre-invasion population of 70,000 people, was attacked multiple times from multiple directions, according to the Ukrainian military, but the defenders held their positions.