Ministry of Defence says ‘extreme attrition’ and tensions between Russia’s military and Wagner mercenaries are probably behind failure of offensive
What we know on day 395 of the invasion
Russia’s assault on the fiercely contested eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut has “largely stalled”, the UK’s Ministry of Defence says.
It said in its latest intelligence update:
This is likely primarily a result of extreme attrition of the Russian force. Ukraine has also suffered heavy casualties during its defence.
This suggests an overall return to a more defensive operational design after inconclusive results from its attempts to conduct a general offensive since January 2023.