London: Russia pays a heavy price in the Battle of Bakhmut in Ukraine

Before the war, around 70,000 The benefits of taking the oblast-populated city of Donetsk are disproportionate to the price Moscow is paying, the Defense Ministry’s daily briefing on the war in Ukraine said on Saturday.

Most of Russia’s effort and firepower since August this year has been focused on a fortified front sector about 15 kilometers long, the report said. The plan was likely to encircle the city, he added, adding that little progress had been made in the south.

While Russia could threaten larger urban centers such as Kramatorsk and Slaviansk after capturing Bakhmut, “the operational value would be limited”, the British assessment added. “There is a real possibility that the capture of Bakhmut has become primarily a symbolic and political goal for Russia,” the summary reads.

Since Russia launched a war in Ukraine in late February, the UK Ministry of Defense has been issuing daily intelligence updates on the progress of the war in an attempt to counter the Russian narrative. Moscow accuses London of carrying out a targeted disinformation campaign.