Ukrainian officers say they are making significant gains in the battle for Bakhmut. However, they are still seeing "a constant wave of assaults."
They say their troops have been "butchering the enemy." They had heard leaders of the Wagner mercenary group claim to be running out of ammunition. However, the Ukrainians say those fighters have been firing even more shells on their positions.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview on Wednesday with public broadcasters of Eurovision News that his forces are "ready" for a counteroffensive he and his allies keep talking about. However, he said military hardware from the West has been arriving only "in batches." He added the troops "can move forward" but expressed concern that they would "lose a lot of people." He said that that would be "unacceptable" so they "need to wait."
Zelenskyy has been pressing Western leaders for missiles that can reach Russian troops deep behind the front lines. Now, British leaders have delivered supplies of what is known as the Storm Shadow, which can hit targets more than 250 kilometers away.
The spokesperson for President Vladimir Putin defended the progress of Russian troops. Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday they have been "slow" to act because they want to save infrastructure and "human lives." However, he said the enemy "needs to be pushed back," so the operation "will continue."