Russian occupying troops unsuccessfully tried to storm settlements south of Bakhmut the day before, and also fought in the suburbs of Donetsk, according to a report by the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

The invaders tried to gain a foothold and improve their tactical position in Zaitsevo and Vershina, which is five kilometers from the southern outskirts of Bakhmut. Artillery and small arms continued to shell Seversk and nearby settlements.

Russian military bloggers reported active battles at the Knauf Gips Donbass plant on the southeastern outskirts of Soledar, eight kilometers from Bakhmut and directly along the T1302 Bakhmut-Lysichansk highway.

“Russian forces are struggling to break through Ukrainian defenses around Bakhmut and are likely to continue their slow advance on fortified Ukrainian positions under cover of heavy artillery,” the report says..

Also, the Russians unsuccessfully tried to advance in the direction of Krasnogorovka, Avdeevka and Pesok. In the suburbs of Donetsk, Ukrainian and Russian military exchange artillery strikes, which indicates that the occupiers do not control the village, analysts say.

Just as unsuccessfully, Russian troops tried to advance on Maryinka. Analysts suggest that the occupiers will try to attack from the Petrovsky district of the occupied Donetsk.