Strong Ukrainian artillery attack on Russian positions near Bakhmut

(Patria) - The use of heavy weaponry supplied by the West in the fierce fighting raging on the outskirts of Bakhmut, which Russia captured in May, is taking a significant toll on enemy lines, Ukrainian commanders told Reuters.

Encouraged after last week's capture of the key village of Klishchiivka, Ukrainian troops praised 155-millimeter howitzers as key equipment provided by the United States and their NATO allies.

Unit commander Oleksandr said the Ukrainian Armed Forces "heavily rely" on heavy artillery, including the Polish-made Krab howitzer and the American-made M109 self-propelled howitzer.

"Even a single howitzer can completely turn the situation around. An attack can be stopped with just one such weapon," he said.

"The main thing is to aim where needed. They (the Russians) hate our hardware. That's what we learn from intercepted conversations. We hear that we constantly make hell for them and they constantly wonder how much ammunition we have left," he said.

Oleksandr, 30, described Klishchiivka, a village on the heights south of the devastated city of Bakhmut, as "one of the places the (Russians) held onto."

"We'll see what's next. We will build on our success," he added.

Ukrainian commanders described the capture of Klishchiivka and nearby Andriivka as a stepping stone for the recapture of Bakhmut, which fell to Russian hands after months of heavy fighting.

Those gains were among the most significant in Ukraine's counteroffensive, which began in June and sought to break through entrenched Russian lines.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and senior officials welcomed the progress and dismissed criticism from the West that the counteroffensive was advancing too slowly.