Russian and Ukrainian forces are exhausted fighting on the ruins of Bakhmut

After eight months of fierce and brutal fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces in and around Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, both sides are exhausted as they continue to fight over a town that is now little more than rubble, according to two Western officials.

Western officials — who asked not to be named because of the sensitive nature of the situation on the ground in Ukraine — spoke in a defense intelligence briefing Wednesday that Russian forces have made very slow progress in their efforts to capture Pakhmut in the Donetsk region, saying any progress over the past two weeks can be measured in metres.

Officials said the lull in recent activity was due to bad weather, as well as “exhaustion on both sides.”

The officials said that Russia is suffering an increasing number of casualties, and they believe that its fighters do not fully control Bakhmut, despite the claim of the commander of the Russian mercenary forces there that his fighters seized the main administrative building of the town last Sunday.

In any case, they note that Bakhmut is no longer as well known as before. They said “there is no town left”.

Russian forces, mostly mercenary units of the Wagner Group, have been trying to advance into the wider Donetsk region for months because fully occupying the region is a key goal of the Kremlin. Although capturing the city is not of strategic importance in and of itself, Russia views it as a stepping stone to advance into other regional cities such as Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.

despite of Defense analysts estimate that Bakhmut was gradually encircled By Russian forces in the north, east and south, Ukraine refused to withdraw tactically from Bakhmut, vowing instead to reinforce and defend it. And so the fighting continues.

Western officials said on Wednesday that Ukraine surprised everyone with its determination and ability to push back the Russians at Bakhmut and was effective as a means of inflicting as many casualties on Russia as possible.

The officials said whether Ukraine could or should send troops to Bakhmut to retake the city just as it was preparing to launch a full-scale counteroffensive — with little information about when and where that might begin — was another question.

For its part, Ukraine ignored any question about facing the possibility of Russian forces there bypassing Yuri Sak, an official in the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, describing Russia’s allegations that it technically took control of Bakhmut last weekend as “a bull … -.”

“We’ve been hearing this for months,” Sack told CNBC Monday, referring to allegations that Bakhmut is under Russian control.

“The truth is, as the General Staff and the military report say, it’s not easy there, it’s very bad, it’s been bad for the last three months and nothing has improved. There was a little calm the last few days were unusual but it intensified again But Bakhmut is standing, this is the most important thing.

As for indicating when Kiev might launch a counterattack, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry is understandably muted, but Sak noted that preparations must be made as he noted that “being on the offensive is always much more difficult than being on the defensive.” “

“We are not ready to use our soldiers as cannon fodder. So unless our military leadership is confident that we have enough armor, enough tanks, enough artillery, they won’t make a move. That’s why we’re preparing for that, we’re preparing for that, and we’ll work on it as soon as we’re ready.”