Military: Ukraine holds initiative in Bakhmut direction.

Ukrainian forces hold the initiative on the battlefield in the Bakhmut direction despite heavy Russian artillery fire, Serhii Cherevatyi, the spokesman for Ukraine's Eastern Military Command, said[1] on Aug.

8. "The Bakhmut direction remains a sector where our Defense Forces hold the initiative," Cherevatyi said on television. "The enemy is desperately resisting, using all types of artillery, from mortars to multiple-launch rocket systems," he added.

According to the spokesperson, Russian forces shelled Ukrainian positions 508 times and launched six air strikes during the day. Some 16 combat engagements occurred, leaving 65 Russian soldiers killed, 120 wounded, and three captured, Cherevatyi said. Russian losses also included a tank, a Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer, a Msta-B howitzer, an ammunition warehouse, five trucks, and a communications hub, he specified.

According to Cherevatyi, the quality and precision of Ukrainian artillery crews surpass the quantitative advantage of their Russian counterparts. The Bakhmut direction remains one of the main sectors of the ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive. The Ukrainian military reported advances along the southern and northern flanks of the city, which fell to Russian forces in late May.

Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi said[2] on July 20 that the conditions are right for Ukraine to retake Bakhmut. While not giving a clear timeframe, he said that the operation will be attempted "as soon as possible." Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said[3] on Aug.

1. that Russia is concentrating its forces along the eastern front line, namely in the Kupiansk, Lyman, and Svatove directions, trying to pull Ukrainian forces away from Bakhmut and stop their advance in that area.

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[4] Martin Fornusek

News Editor

Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent.

He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He also volunteers as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukrainer. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.

References

1. ^ said (www.youtube.com)
2. ^ said (kyivindependent.com)
3. ^ said (kyivindependent.com)
4. ^ Investigative Stories from Ukraine: Russia hits Ukraine with missiles that once belonged to UkraineWelcome to Investigative Stories from Ukraine, the Kyiv Independent's newsletter that walks you through the most prominent investigations of the past week.

   If you are fond of in-depth journalism that exposes war crimes, corruption and abuse of power across state organizations in Ukraine and beyond,... (kyivindependent.com)