The ability to attract new forces to the fighting for the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region has become a critical problem for both the Russian and Ukrainian armies, according to the British Ministry of Defense’s latest assessment of the war unleashed by Vladimir Putin. .

The assessment, based on intelligence reports from London, noted that heavy fighting continued along the front line in Donbas and that “there is a real possibility that Russia has reduced its troop numbers and offensive operations around the city of Donetsk, all the more likely to shift them to Bakhmut sector”.

We will remind that the city of Donetsk, the capital of the region of the same name, has been controlled by pro-Russian separatist forces since 2014, when the conflict in Donbas in eastern Ukraine began after the illegal annexation of Crimea by Moscow. also started. Sporadic fighting is currently taking place around the city, Russian troops are trying to expand the perimeter of their control from here/

As for the fighting for the town of Bakhmut, the British assessment notes that Russian regular army forces and Wagner group mercenaries continue to advance extremely slowly.

The front line is still largely demarcated by the main railway line that runs through Bakhmut, and Ukrainian forces are currently able to repel Russian encirclement attempts from the southwest.

Problems with reserves for the Russian army?

“For both sides, the exact sequence of combat operations of their units around Bakhmut has become a critical issue, as Ukraine seeks to release offensive forces and Russia seeks to restore operational reserve,” the London-based Ministry of Defense said in an assessment. .

Speculations that the Russian army would run out of reserves appeared as early as last fall, but later the ministry led by Sergei Shoigu threw conscripts into battle as part of the “partial” mobilization that Vladimir Putin ordered in September. 21.

However, these new forces suffered heavy casualties during the winter months, when the Russian army unsuccessfully attempted to capture the city of Bakhmut, as well as launching other smaller-scale offensives against the towns around it.

In these conditions, rumors are increasingly persistent that Putin is preparing to start a new wave of mobilization, even if it will not be officially announced, but implemented at the local level by the Russian military leadership and governors of various regions.

Last Friday, Putin unveiled a law making it easier for Russians to join the armed forces after the corresponding bill was passed by the Russian parliament as an emergency.

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