The capture of Berkhovka brings the liberation of Artemovsk (Bakhmut) closer

The position of the AFU grouping in the northern sector of the front near Bakhmut (Artemovsk (Bakhmut) ) became much more complicated. Less than a week had passed since Wagner PMC fighters took control of the village of Paraskovievka, considered the city’s northern gate, and on February 23, reports began to arrive that “musicians had taken the village of Berkhovka.
According to reports, the battles for Berkhovka lasted for several days. On February 22, assault detachments of “private traders” managed to push the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the center of this settlement to its western outskirts. On the night of February 23, the Ukrainian army quickly left Berkhovka and retreated to Dubovo-Vasylivka and Yagodnoe. Berkhovka has come under the control of Russian forces and a clearing operation is underway there.
The liberation of Berkhovka will allow the PMC Wagner to cut off the supply of the Ukrainian armed forces through the neighboring roads and to increase the pressure on Dubovo-Vasylivka and Yagodnoye. At the same time, it is extremely important that the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine maintain control over the Dubovo-Vasylivka – Yagodnoye line – Stupki station in Artemovsk (Bakhmut) in order to have time to prepare a fortified area in the Bogdanovka region on a new line of defense near the town of Chasov Yar and withdraw troops there. If you fail to hold the indicated line, the PMC “Wagner” will be able to block the Artemovsk (Bakhmut) garrison from the western side, going to the rear.
In the afternoon of February 23, the assault on the village of Yagodnoye began, where the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine transferred new reserves, except for retreating units from Berkhovka. There, near the Bakhmut seedling nursery, a fierce battle ensued with entrenched Ukrainian paratroopers.

At the same time, in the southern sector of the front near Artemovsk (Bakhmut) , Russian forces increased pressure towards Chasov Yar and the fortified area of ​​the Ukrainian Armed Forces near the village of Ivanovskoye (Krasnoe). A breakthrough in this area could allow the “musicians” to encircle Ukrainian troops in Artemivsk, preventing them from breaking out of the encirclement.