On Saturday, Ukraine's military reported that Russian forces lost 1,090 troops in fighting for control of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut in what may be the greatest single-day death toll since the war began over a year ago. In addition, Ukrainian forces eliminated eight tanks, seven armored fighting vehicles, and four artillery systems in the engagement. Ukrainian military spokesperson Serhiy Cherevatyi further reported that an additional 239 Russian soldiers were killed in fighting near Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast. Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Maliar attested to the "aggravated" battle and offered that Ukraine’s forces were attempting to prevent the enemy from achieving their goals. However, according to a report by the Institute for the Study of War, the Moscow-allied Wagner Group fighters were likely pinned in urban areas, which hindered their offensive capabilities.

Though there were about 70,000 civilians