Over the last week, Russian attempts to assault Donetsk region town of Vuhledar have almost certainly slowed. This follows repeated, extremely costly failed attacks over the previous three months, according to a defense intelligence report published on Twitter by the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on Thursday.

At the same time, it is noted that the only notable tactical success of the occupiers in recent years has been the advance in the area of the town of Bakhmut, Donetsk region, dominated by mercenaries of the private military company Wagner, currently involved in a public feud with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. “There is a realistic possibility that Russia’s MoD has been insistent in its drive for success in Vuhledar, partially because it wants its own success to compete with Wagner’s achievements,” the message reads.

One factor in Russia’s heavy losses in this sector has been Ukraine’s successful adoption of Remote Anti-Armour Mine systems (RAAM). “RAAM is a specialist artillery shell which scatters anti-armour mines up to 17km away from the firing unit. In some instances, Ukraine has launched the mines over and behind advancing Russian units, causing disarray when Russian vehicles attempt to withdraw,” the British Intelligence said.