Russian troops appear to have launched localized offensive actions towards Bakhmut and have intensified their ground attacks near Bakhmut in recent days. According to the Ukrainian General Staff, between November 8 and 9, Russian forces carried out nearly 30 attacks northwest and southwest of Bakhmut. Some Russian bloggers reported that Russian troops entered Klitchiyivka and pushed back Ukrainian soldiers there. The “ISW” could not find any visual evidence to support these claims.

Russian advances near Berkhivka reservoir

Some other Russian bloggers claimed that Russian troops had advanced towards Berkhivka-Bohdanivka, south of the Berkhivka reservoir towards the Vilyanova Nursery. These local offensive actions are likely tactical ground attacks that benefit from the reported reallocation of Ukrainian resources away from Bakhmut. Several bloggers noted that the pace of Ukrainian artillery and ground fire toward Bakhmut has decreased in recent days. The “ISW” pointed out that Russian troops are likely to take advantage of this decrease in Ukrainian activity in this sector of the front to launch local and successful attacks.

However, Russian forces are likely to find it difficult to translate their offensive efforts near Bakhmut into broader and more significant offensive operations. The Russian force around Bakhmut is considered weak and disorganized as Russian troops commit more personnel and materiel to deliberate and larger offensive operations near Avdiivka and on the Kharkiv-Luhansk border.

Zelenykyj doesn’t want to hear these voices – generals no longer believe in victory.