When Russian progress pauses, Ukraine considers an attack in the vicinity of Bakhmut.

Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of Ukraine's land forces, has said that a Ukrainian counter-offensive could soon be launched in Bakhmut, raising the prospect of an unlikely turnaround in the besieged city. A counter-offensive has seemed an unlikely prospect for several weeks, as forces from Russia's Wagner mercenary group bombarded Bakhmut and edged closer toward seizing control of the city. Russian troops have launched more than 200 strikes on the area in the past 24 hours alone, but are losing hundreds of men each day in their efforts. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky made a surprise trip to the front lines of the Donetsk region, and the Ukrainian National Resistance Center said that Wagner mercenaries had begun deporting residents of the Bakhmut area.
The Ukrainian military's General Staff has reported that Russia's offensive potential is decreasing in Bakhmut, with the enemy losing manpower, weapons and military equipment. Western intelligence has also reported that the tempo of Russian operations around Bakhmut appears to be slowing, indicating a change in Russia's priorities. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko handed out awards to troops defending Bakhmut during a morale-boosting trip on Wednesday. The lengthy resistance of Ukrainian troops could yet vindicate his decision to ignore some Western calls to tactically retreat from Bakhmut as the Russian offensive closed in. A city 20 kilometers west of Bakhmut is also being struck with increasing frequency by Russian missiles, Ukrainian authorities said Friday.