Thread by @jseldin

NEW: Intense fighting near #Bakhmut where #Russia launching counteroffensive to take the city from #Ukraine, per a senior US military official

#Russia's Wagner Group active in area around #Bakhmut & Russian forces making some incremental gains, but "the #Ukrainians continue to hold the line" per a senior US military official

"We know the #Ukrainians can fight & fight well under these [winter] conditions" per senior US military official

#Russia has "tens of thousands" of forces on the eastern side of the Dnieper River, & artillery too, per senior US military official

"#Russia has been seeking to get additional capabilities from #Iran" per senior US military official

"Given the current sate of Russia's munitions stockpile, it's not surprising"

Says same goes for #Moscow reaching out to #NorthKorea #DPRK, official says

#Russia's use of "fully serviceable" rocket & mortar ammunition can sustain current rate of fire "until early 2023" per senior US military official

But official says Russian forces increasingly using older "degraded" ammunition, some of which are duds/malfunction

#Russia's stock of precision guided rockets/missiles - "the numbers available to them have really diminished" per senior US military official

"For a while now, #Russia has been pouring in troops & equipment to the region" to take #Bakhmut, per senior US military official

"#Ukraine continues to hold the line..."

#Russia "throwing forces at the problem" to try to retake #Bakhmut, per senior US military official

Says reports indicate significant casualties for Russian forces