Britain claims that Russia is planning a 'symbolic capture' of Ukraine's Bakhmut town

The escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war has sparked tensions all over the world. Although Russia’s withdrawal from Kherson gave some relief to Ukraine, the recent intelligence update by the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence has the potential to cause major worries for the Zelenskyy administration. On December 3, the British Ministry of Defence claimed that Russian forces are eyeing the areas around the Donetsk Oblast town of Bakhmut. The Ministry claims that Russian forces are investing large military efforts to capture the town. According to the recent assertion made by the Ministry, “Bakhmut’s capture has primarily become a symbolic, political objective” for the Putin administration. 

The statement by the UK Ministry of Defence reads, “Russian forces continue to invest a large element of their overall military effort and firepower along an approximately 15km long sector of entrenched front line around the Donetsk Oblast town of Bakhmut.” The Ministry added that Russia plans to “encircle the town with tactical advances” to the north and south region. The ministry claimed that Russia has “prioritised” the region since August. Although the region, according to the British ministry, holds little relevance and operational value, it does have the “potential to allow Russia to threaten the large parts of Kramatorsk Sloviansk.” Calling the plan “disproportionately costly,” the ministry claims that the capture of Bakhmut will be primarily “symbolic political objective.” 

Zelenskyy claims that Ukraine plans a ‘powerful countermeasure’ to Russian forces

Earlier this week, Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that Ukrainian forces are preparing a “powerful countermeasure” to Russia’s recent advances. According to Zelenskyy, the countermeasures will exceed the prior measures taken by the Ukrainian army. Zelenskyy made these claims at one of his nightly addresses to the Ukrainian citizens who are now engulfed by power outages while the temperatures have plunged in the country. 

“We are analysing the intentions of the occupiers and are preparing a countermeasure - an even more powerful countermeasure than it’s been,” Zelenskyy said in his address. While Ukraine is planning to boost its countermeasures on the frontline, Ukraine’s Western Allies have planned to take a different route to hinder Moscow’s progression in the Ukraine-Russia war. On December 2, G7, the EU, and Australia released a joint statement in which it was announced that the EU states are all set to impose a price cap on Russian oil. The announcement came after Poland decided to support the move that allows the signatory states to purchase oil from Russia at a $ 60-a-barrel price cap. In the joint statement, it was claimed that the decision was taken to “prevent Russia from profiting from its war of aggression against Ukraine.”