 In the last four days, the Russian military has likely redeployed several battalions to the Bakhmut sector, following Ukrainian successes at Bakhmut's flanks and growing concerns about Wagner mercenary groups' reliability. Russia probably seeks to claim at least some level of success in the war, the British Defence Intelligence said. This move represents a serious commitment since Russia retains only a few uncommitted units in Ukraine. The battle of Bakhmut has been ongoing since August 2022 and has been described as one of the largest and heaviest engagements in the war. Moscow grows increasingly reliant on the Wagner group in the Bakhmut battle. In the meantime, Ukraine's forces have seized the initiative around Bakhmut and advanced up to 500 meters in some areas.