Russia has seized the west bank of the Bakhmutka River, endangering a key Ukraine supply route, in its push to regain control of the devastated eastern city of Bakhmut, the British defense ministry said on Friday.
"Russia has made further gains and has now highly likely advanced into the town center ... Ukraine's key 0506 supply route to the west of the town is likely severely threatened," the ministry said on Twitter in a regular bulletin.
Ukraine said on Friday that Russia was concentrating all its efforts on capturing the eastern city of Bakhmut where it described the situation as "difficult" but said it was holding out despite Russia's numerical superiority.
Eastern Military Command spokesperson Serhiy Cherevatyi told Reuters that Ukraine controlled the situation in Bakhmut, understood Russian intentions and that Moscow had tactical success in some places, but was paying a high price for it.