Week 62: Bakhmut situation critical
Bakhmut
A map of the changes to control in Bakhmut over the last week.
Over the past week, Russian forces have continued their gradual advances through the city of Bakhmut in Ukraine. As of now, Ukrainian forces only hold a small area of high-rise buildings on the western edge of the city, which is under threat of being overrun by the advancing Russian forces.
The Russian forces have made notable advances west of the rail station and have taken control of almost the entirety of the southwest residential district. Additionally, Russia has made advances in the north of the city. It is likely that Ukrainian forces have withdrawn from more vulnerable positions in that area.
If Ukraine is unable to stop the momentum of the Russian forces, it is highly likely that they will lose the remaining positions in the city within the next two weeks. The strategic impact of this loss remains to be seen. While Bakhmut became a stronghold for the Ukrainian army, they successfully slowed the Russian advance past the city for many months. This has allowed for new defensive lines to be developed behind the city in preparation for its capture. It is important to note that Ukraine maintains that it has no intention of abandoning the city despite the challenging situation there.
Explosion in Sevastopol
Smoke cloud from the burning fuel oil tanks
Over the weekend, Sevastopol, a port city in Crimea that has served as a key location for the Russian navy in the Black Sea for many years, experienced a powerful explosion. The cause of the explosion was a strike carried out by Ukraine on a strategic oil depot located in the port. Emergency services promptly responded to the scene and worked for several hours to contain the resulting fire. No casualties were reported as a result of the strike.
A mark up of the destroyed tanks (credit @IntelCrab)
Russia strikes Pavlohrad plant
The day after the strike in Sevastopol, Russia launched an attack that also caused a significant blast. Cameras captured a massive explosion and shockwave 23 seconds after a Russian strike hit a plant that allegedly stored booster rocket fuel, which was being prepared for decommissioning. The shockwave from the blast resulted in damage up to 5 kilometres away. While the casualty figure is not yet clear, more than 34 people are reported to have been injured in the strike.
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