The Armed Forces have achieved tactically significant success in Bakhmut area - ISW (map)

According to American analysts, the limited nature of the offensive operations of the Wagner PEC in Bakhmut compared to local Ukrainian counterattacks indicates the loss of the initiative of the Russians in the area. The Armed Forces of Ukraine intercepted tactical initiative and achieved tactically significant success in the Bakhmut direction. This is stated in the report of the Institute of War Study (ISW) of May 18.

The publication states that the Ukrainian forces have been holding local counterattacks for several days, which still do not indicate the beginning of a large counter -offensive. Analysts indicated that the statement of the founder of PEC "Wagner" Yevgeny Prigogine that his fighters retreated 570 meters north of Bakhmut, agreed with the data of Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Anna Malyar that the Ukrainian forces have advanced 500 meters to the north from the city and 1000 meters south.

The authors of the report also mentioned that according to the statement of the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces Sergei Cherevatov, the Ukrainian forces have returned the initiative on the battlefield and forced the Russians to respond to their actions, in particular by transferring the units of the Bakhmut Fighters.

"The limited nature of the offensive operations of Wagner PEC in Bakhmut compared to local Ukrainian counterattacks emphasizes the loss of Russian initiative in the area," the American analysts stated. We will remind that on May 18 Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Anna Malyar reported that the Ukrainian military was able to repel all the attacks of Russian invaders in Bakhmut last day. According to her, the Russians tried to attack cities almost all day.