ANATOLII STEPANOV / AFP
Ukrainians have not yet given up the strategic city of Bachmout, which the Russians call “an important node (of lines) of defense of Ukrainian soldiers in Donbass.”
WAR IN UKRAINE – The capture of Bakhmout could be irreversible for Ukraine. At least, that is what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fears about the city, which for months has become the epicenter of particularly deadly fighting in Ukraine.
“We understand that they could go further after Bakhmout. They could go to Kramatorsk, they could go to Sloviansk, the way would be free for the Russians (…) to other cities in Ukraine,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy estimated in an interview with CNN on Wednesday, March 8 , was aired.
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But despite fears of giving the Russians a way to seize towns in eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian president has once again made it clear that his army would not let go of an inch at Bachmout. “Yesterday I had a meeting with the Chief of General Staff and the military commanders in chief (…) and everyone said that we must remain strong in Bakhmut,” the President of Ukraine said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says in an interview with CNN that Russian troops will have “the open road” to… https://t.co/GgBrTH2MKK
— CNN (@CNN)
“Of course we have to think about the lives of our soldiers. But we must do everything we can while we receive weapons and supplies and our army prepares for the counteroffensive,” he added, as the Russians say they are making progress in capturing this city that has become the theater of war has become the longest and deadliest battle since the Russian invasion began more than 12 months ago. The BBC also reports 20,000 to 30,000 Russian casualties, according to Western officials of the fighting in Bakhmout, which began in the summer of 2022.
One location was even qualified as an “important node (of the lines) of defense of Ukrainian soldiers in Donbass,” Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday. “His capture will allow new offensive operations to be carried out in depth,” he added during a meeting.
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Moscow wants victory
While Bakhmout’s strategic value is still theoretically a matter of debate, given the heavy casualties suffered by both sides, the city acquired undeniable symbolic and tactical importance. The city, which has a population of barely 4,000 compared to 70,000 before the invasion, is largely destroyed.
And Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s fears about Russian advances seem justified, as evidenced by recent statements by Yevgeny Prigoyine, the founder of the paramilitary group Wagner. “The Wagner units have taken the entire eastern part of Bachmout, everything that is east of the Bachmoutka River,” as he passed through the city, said the group’s chief, who until recently was in open conflict with the Russian military hierarchy. whom he blames for not supplying enough ammunition for his men.
Map of the front line around the city of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast, which Russian troops want to capture in order to conquer other cities in eastern Ukraine.
Indeed, in its latest report, published on Tuesday, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a group of American experts, assessed that Kremlin troops “probably… “ had conquered .
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NEW: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared on March 7 that the hypothetical #Russian capture of #Bakhmut … https://t.co/lKFCf1l5aD
—ISW (@TheStudyofWar)
Moscow, still searching for victory since its crushing defeats in the autumn, now appears to be controlling approaches to the city to the north, south and east and is threatening encirclement. However, Evguéni Prigojine, who was relatively disgruntled with the Russian army for several weeks, believes that the Russian lines would collapse if his troops pulled out of Bakhmout. Which suggests that the balance of power is still fragile.
On Tuesday, he even allowed himself to poke fun at Russia’s defense minister, stating that he “didn’t meet” him on the battlefield, while on Saturday his ministry bluntly asserted that Sergei Shoigu had returned to the combat zone.
Hold to counterattack
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, on Tuesday denied speculation about a possible tactical withdrawal by his men and ordered reinforcements to be sent to the practically destroyed city, despite recent Russian advances.
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However, Wagner’s troops carried out this attack at the cost of very heavy casualties, even by Yevgeny Prigoyine’s own account. A situation that urges Kiev to continue the confrontation in Bakhmout to further wear down the Russian offensive forces. And if Kiev holds out long enough, it will allow it to prepare and launch its counteroffensive, planned thanks to modern heavy and armored weapons promised by the West.
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On this subject, European Union defense ministers will meet in Stockholm on Wednesday in the presence of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and their Ukrainian counterpart Oleksiï Reznikov to discuss the human and military costs of the Battle of Bakhmout.
The purpose of this meeting is to develop a three-part plan for the supply of ammunition to Ukraine with a view to its adoption on March 20 during a meeting of heads of European diplomacy. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also called for “unwavering military and economic support” in front of the Canadian Parliament on Tuesday.
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