Russian forces have made significant territorial gains in and around the strategic town of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region, pro-Moscow sources have claimed.
Located roughly 55 miles north of Donetsk city, Bakhmut (Artyomovsk in Russian) and its surroundings have remained the scene of fierce fighting for the past several months.
Russian forces deployed in the area are said to include the Donetsk People’s Republic Militia and the Wagner Group, a shadowy paramilitary organization directed by the Kremlin.
According to military analysts, the fall of Bakhmut to Russian forces would severely disrupt Ukrainian supply routes to the frontline.
It would also open the way for a Russian advance on the towns of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, key Ukrainian strongholds to the northwest….