Day 409: April 08Today there are a lot of updates from the east. As Russians concentrated their efforts on taking the city block by block, almost all of Wagner forces elite personnel were deployed to Bakhmut. With the increased number of targets, Ukrainians started accumulating more artillery systems, and as Russians started moving in their equipment inside the city, Ukrainians started using HIMARS to target buildings that they use as warehouses.Last time I told you that the speculations about Ukrainians conducting a tactical withdrawal toward the railways was correct. I also told you that over the course of 2 days, Ukrainians were stepping back by back by 1 or 2 streets per day, maintaining a straight front line. The freshest reports suggest that the rate of withdrawal remained the same as in previous days because today, the front line also shifted approximately by 1 street. In the upper center, Ukrainians reportedly left the eastern part completely because staying there for a long would cost Ukrainians a lot of losses. This area is almost entirely comprised of 1- or 2-story houses, which are surrounded by the industrial zone and high-rise buildings. So, these positions were pretty weak, and Ukrainians left them in one go. In the bottom center, the situation is more complex. Here, Ukrainians are relying on 2 lines of high-rise buildings, which allows for a slower-paced withdrawal. After Wagner forces established control over the stadium Metalurg, the line of contact moved towards the Church of all Saints. The latest reports indicate that Russians entered the high-rise building at the intersection, which allowed them to secure control over the church and half of the park. When it comes to the territory south of this park, it is still under Ukrainians control. For now, the clashes are reportedly taking place in front of school #7. The buildings nearby help to create a powerful block, which gives a relative advantage and allows to exert significant control over the southern outskirts. Such a setting explains a slower rate of Russian advancement. Nonetheless, when it comes to the stadium Avangard, after several days of intense clashes, Ukrainians were reportedly pushed out of this area and are now holding the line along Kovalska Street. The new setting also gives more work for Ukrainians snipers. After assuming control over new streets, Wagner forces are yet unfamiliar with which areas are under total sniper control, which leads to a higher toll when trying to cross the streets. One of the Ukrainian sniper units released a video showing how he hunts a Wagner soldier in the gardens in the suburbs. Ukrainian Commander of the Forces in Bakhmut also released a video today and showed how 4 HIMARS are sending 24 rockets to hit Russian targets in Bakhmut. Some sources say that the targets are located on the territory of the AZOM industrial complex. As you remember, previously, Ukrainians already hit one of the workshops with a ballistic missile Tochka-U, so the use of HIMARS would indicate of continuation of this campaign. Today a Ukrainian fighter from Aidar Battalion published a video showing Ukrainian positions, and said that they are no longer under Ukrainian control. This a very unfavorable development because it suggests that Russians finally managed to cross Korsunskogo Street and establish control over at least one block of houses. The latest updates indicate that the second block is in the grey zone, while the third one is held by Ukrainians. It is highly likely that Ukrainians are going to conduct a limited counterattack here because allowing Russians to stay means that they would have fire control over a vast area.Overall, the most important fights are taking place in the central part of the city, where Ukrainians are trying to conduct a careful withdrawal, while Russians are trying to take advantage of the fluid setting, push Ukrainians as hard as they can and force them to retreat earlier than they are ready in order to collapse the front line. So far, Ukrainians have managed to maintain a relatively straight front line, so no Russian breakthrough is expected.