Russian troops have brought most of their reserves to Bakhmut and significantly strengthened the group, Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar has said.
According to her, on 18 May, the Russians attacked the city all day, but all these attacks were repelled by Ukrainian defenders. Currently, the Ukrainian army controls the southwestern part of Bakhmut.
"The enemy also attacked the outskirts north of Bakhmut. The attacks were repelled. In some areas, our troops have advanced by 500 metres. In the southern suburbs of Bakhmut, fierce fighting took place throughout the day. The enemy went on the offensive and tried to regain the lost territories, but suffered losses and failed to achieve their objectives. In some areas, our troops advanced up to 1 km," said Malyar.
She added that the defence of Bakhmut and its suburbs is fulfilling its military tasks and the Ukrainian side is currently gaining time for "certain planned actions".
Earlier, the spokesman for the Eastern Group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Serhiy Cherevatyy, said that Ukrainian defenders had advanced 150 to 1,700 metres in the Bakhmut sector over the past 24 hours.
According to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Russians in the Bakhmut sector conducted unsuccessful offensives in the direction of the town of Ivanivske. Bakhmut also came under Russian air strikes.