Fighting between Ukrainian and Russian troops in the town of Bakhmut (in eastern Ukraine) has almost completely stalled due to massive attrition on both sides, which would force Moscow to take a new turn in operations to bolster its gains. in the vicinity of the city, according to the latest assessment of the Department of Military Intelligence of the British Ministry of Defense.

“The Russian offensive on Bakhmut has largely stalled due to the extreme attrition of Russian forces. Ukraine also suffered huge losses in defense,” reads the ministry’s assessment posted on its Twitter account this Saturday.

According to data shuffled by British military intelligence, Russia now appears to be focusing on two positions: Avdiivka, about 50 kilometers south of the city, and the Kremina-Svatovo sector, also about 50 kilometers, this time to the north. Moscow seeks to stabilize its battle front.

Taken together, everything indicates that Russia has returned to a “more defensive operating model” after “the inconclusive results of its attempts to launch a general offensive” since January of this year.

The Russian offensive in Bakhmut is also hampered by existing tensions between the Russian Ministry of Defense and the forces of the Wagner mercenary group, which are also fighting in the city and have had serious strategic differences for months, the British ministry assessed. with Russian military authorities, even considering reducing its operations in Ukraine and returning attention to the group’s operations in African countries.