According to British Intelligence, fighting between Russia and Ukraine in the city of Bajmut has stalled due to the heavy attrition suffered by both armies. This attrition has led Russia to change its war strategy, focusing on stabilizing its front and adopting a more defensive operational model. To this end, it is trying to enroll up to 400,000 new soldiers to replenish its ranks and avoid another forced mobilization of reservists that affected public confidence and caused the exodus of up to one million Russians from the country.
The Russian army is concentrating its efforts on the fronts in two cities: Adviivka and Kremina-Svatove, located about 50 kilometers south and north of Bajmut, respectively. However, the offensive launched by Putin’s army in Bakhmut has failed due to tensions between the Russian Defense Ministry and the Wagner mercenary group deployed in the town.
For their part, the Ukrainian troops are focused on resisting with small victories in order to maintain their position and not to lose ground to the enemies. In this context, the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister has accused the Russian authorities of blocking the return of Ukrainian minors to Ukrainian territory after being deported to the country.
Despite this, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights has revealed that the Ukrainian authorities have received signals that the Russians are planning to start returning children systematically. In short, Russia is reportedly shifting its operational model to a more defensive one and trying to replenish its ranks with new soldiers, while Ukraine continues to resist in order to maintain its position.