Kiev, 25 March 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Russia's attack on the embattled east Ukrainian city of Bakhmut has stalled and Ukrainian defenders have consolidated their positions, according to the British Defence Ministry and Ukrainian army chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

The Defence Ministry, in its daily assessment of the war in Ukraine, said Russia's attempt to take Bakhmut has stalled because of "extreme attrition" of Russian forces, likely made worse by infighting between Russia's regular army and the mercenary Wagner Group, both of whom supply forces to the area.

It suggested that Russia has now turned its forces toward the town of Avdiivka further south and to the front line section near Kremina and Svatove north of Bakhmut. This suggests that the Russians are returning to a more defensive position after their offensive effort, begun in January, has failed.

This dovetails with the assessment from Zaluzhnyi.

"Thanks to the titanic efforts of the defensive forces, the situation is managing to stabilize," Zaluzhnyi said on his Facebook account following a phone call with his British counterpart Tony Radakin on Friday night.

However, the section around Bakhmut is still one of the most difficult areas of the front.

The British Defence Ministry noted that Ukraine had also suffered heavy casualties from fighting there.