Russia is likely to develop a new direction of advance in the Donetsk region to distract Ukrainian forces from the Bakhmut area under active fighting — the UK Ministry of Defence intelligence

Russia is likely to develop a new direction of advance in the Donetsk region to distract Ukrainian forces from the Bakhmut area under active fighting — the UK Ministry of Defence intelligence

Russian commanders may have turned their attacks around Pavlivka and Vuhledar into a more coordinated assault. These towns are 50 km southwest of Donetsk. 

Russia used the 155th Marine Brigade in an unsuccessful assault on the same area in November 2022. Units of the 155th Brigade are again part of a force that has likely advanced several hundred meters beyond the Kashlagach River, which has marked the front line for several months.

British intelligence notes that there is a real possibility that Russia will continue to make localised gains in this sector. However, it is unlikely that Russia has enough fresh troops in the area to achieve an operationally significant breakthrough.

On January 31, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian Defense Forces units repelled Russian attacks in the vicinity of 13 settlements in the east, including Bakhmut and Vuhledar.