The deployment of heavy weaponry provided by Western nations on the intense battlefield on the outskirts of Bakhmut, which was seized by Russia in May, is inflicting significant damage on enemy lines, according to Ukrainian commanders speaking to Reuters news agency.
Following the successful capture of the crucial village of Klishchiivka last week, Ukrainian troops have hailed the importance of 155-millimetre howitzers supplied by the US and its NATO allies.
Unit commander Oleksandr emphasised the pivotal role heavy artillery plays in Ukraine's armed forces, including the Polish-manufactured Krab gun and the US-made M109 self-propelled howitzer. He stressed that even a single artillery piece could completely alter the course of a battle, effectively halting enemy advances.
"Even one gun can completely turn the situation around. An attack can be stopped with one such gun," he said.
"The main thing is to aim where needed. They (the Russians) hate our hardware. That's what we gather from our intercepts. We hear that we keep giving them hell and they keep wondering how much ammunition we have left."
Oleksandr, 30, described Klishchiivka - a village on the heights south of the devastated town of Bakhmut - as "one of the places they (the Russians) were clinging to".
"We will see what's next. We will develop our success," he said.
https://news.sky.com/story/ukraine-russia-war-news-putin-zelenskyy-latest-live-updates-12541713
