Donetsk People's Republic Head Denis Pushilin claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin issued guidance on increasing checkpoint capacity to facilitate movement between occupied Donetsk Oblast and Rostov Oblast.

Putin issued guidance on increasing checkpoint capacity to facilitate easy movement between occupied Donetsk Oblast and Rostov Oblast.

Regular Russian soldiers are less motivated than Wagner mercenaries; situation in Bakhmut is tense and difficult with enemy prevailing in numbers but suffering significantly higher losses than Ukrainian defenders.

Additional troops would be sent to Bakhmut.

"Everyone is on edge," Fox said. He spoke to AFP from a basement where he and his comrades had set up camp.

"We don't feel support from our artillery," Fox said. "I think Bakhmut will most likely fall."

President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the situation in the Bakhmut direction is becoming more complicated.

The enemy is constantly destroying infrastructure used to protect Ukrainian positions in the Bakhmut sector.