Day 286: December 06In the Donetsk region, the Battle for Bakhmut continues.When it comes to the area to the south of Bakhmut, the Russians gained access to the road to Chasiv Yar. However, before the Russians started moving westward, the Ukrainians conducted a counterattack in the direction of Kurdiumivka. Russian Ministry of Defense reported that this attack was unsuccessful, and judging by the fact that there was no follow-up, it seems like the Ukrainians, indeed, did not manage to return control over this settlement. Some sources also reported a Ukrainian counterattack towards Andriivka with the same outcome, so it seems like the Russians had enough time to establish their positions inside these villages. The good thing is that judging by the fact that this was a series of isolated counterattacks with no follow-ups, the attacks were reconnaissance in nature and done with the purpose of checking Russian positions. It is still possible that in the aftermath of the reconnaissance activities, there will be a bigger counterattack with the aim to push the Russians, not just test their defenses.In the meantime, the toughest fights are taking place in Opytne and Ivanhrad. Mass media reporters interviewed Ukrainian soldiers on the ground, and the soldiers told them that the pressure was immense. The Russians just sent more and more people to fight in Opytne and tried to suppress the Ukrainians with sheer manpower. They also said that they are experiencing supply issues, which is expected. Due to the high pressure, they are obviously running out of supplies at a much higher pace, while the logistic has still not adapted.Ukrainian sources confirmed that the Russians gained some ground in Opytne. Geolocated footage shows Ukrainian forces reportedly withdrawing from positions on the western side of the highway that runs through Opytne. However, to put it into perspective, Opytne is a village with five streets, so the pace of Russian advancement is extremely slow. The spokesman for the Ukrainian Eastern Group of Forces, Serhii Cherevatyi, stated that Russian troops are suffering losses on the order of 50 wounded and 50 killed in action per day only around Bakhmut. The Institute for the Study of War assessed the situation in Opytne and concluded that the Russian effort to take Bakhmut is simply a high-cost effort concentrated on a city of limited operational significance.Russian losses are expected to increase even more, while Ukrainian losses should decrease because a few days ago, the Ukrainians reinforced this region with an artillery brigade. This means that, firstly, the Russians will be shelled more heavily, suffering higher casualties, and, secondly, the Russians will not have as good artillery cover due to the counterbattery fire and interdiction campaigns, which will decrease Ukrainian losses. In fact, Ukrainian Intelligence already reported that the Russians received an order not to bring artillery shells within 100km of the frontline because of recent successful Ukrainian strikes on Russian ammunition depots. It seems like the Russians tried to compensate by using aviation, but this was not without a cost because the Ukrainian Border Guard reported that Ukrainian troops shot down a Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber on the outskirts of Bakhmut.Overall, the fights in Bakhmut are very tough. Right now, the Ukrainians have a tactical advantage over the Russians: firstly, they are mostly in defense mode, which means lower losses, secondly, they are defending a very well-fortified town, thirdly, they undermined Russian supplies of shells to the front, which will worsen their cover and increase losses. With such a high intensity of attacks, the Russians are expending their resources and manpower extremely fast. If the Ukrainians manage to protect crucial supply lines and control over the town, then the Russian attack may culminate very soon, and they will be forced to back down.If you are against the invasion of Ukraine and want to support the work that I am doing, consider making a purchase in the online store UA Supporter. Here you can find a lot of products with Ukrainian symbols, to not only show your support for this channel, but also for Ukraine.