Ukrainian said they were preparing to defend one of the possible targets of a new Russian offensive while conducting exercises near the small town of Siversk, in the country's east. Siversk is located north of Bakhmut which has been the scene of fierce fighting in recent weeks. Bakhmut is crucial as it is on a direct road to another of the key towns in the Donetsk region, Sloviansk.
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"If they occupied Bakhmut, then we would be semi-encircled, because on the left side we have the Siverskyi Donets river, and the enemy will advance from the right, and it is possible to cut us off if they reach the Bakhmut highway," deputy Siversk battalion commander said as per news agency Reuters.
Ukraine has also appealed for more advanced weapons from the West to defend Bakhmut, which is being attacked by Russia's Wagner group. Capturing Bakhmut would give Russian forces a stepping stone to advance into cities further west, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, experts fear. Although, the West has downplayed the importance of Bakhmut.
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{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, Russia's defence ministry said that its forces had captured Hrianykivka, a village in Ukraine's eastern Kharkiv region while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked forces in the region, saying in a video address that "the most brutal and significant fighting is going on there".
Earlier this week, the West vowed to intensify support for Ukraine while White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby acknowledged Russia had made some "incremental gains in and around Bakhmut".
"We estimate now that Wagner has suffered more than 30,000 casualties, including approximately 9,000 killed in action" he said.