Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gave an interview to the American television channel CNN, in which he explained the reason for his decision to send additional forces to the besieged city of Bakhmut. „This is a tactical decision,” he said. In our opinion it will (The Russians, note d. editor) after Bashmut will be able to move on. To Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. According to Bakhmut, the Russians will have an open road to other Ukrainian cities in the Donetsk region. That is why our people are defending themselves there.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with CNN that Russian forces would have an „open road” to seizing key cities in eastern Ukraine if they took control of Bakhmut. https://t.co/e9zC5AggWY pic.twitter.com/Yw5nFJ523g
– CNN March 7, 2023
The liberal-left Polish newspaper „Gazeta Wyborcza” pointed this out in a report on WednesdayVolodymyr Zelensky’s assessment will not agree with the views of international experts. According to the Gazeta Wyborcza text: “The stubborn defense of Bakhmut is controversial because, according to the United States, this mining town in the Donetsk region is of little importance. On Monday, this diagnosis was reinforced by the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who specifically stated that Bakhmut has „symbolic, not strategic, significance.”
Can Russia move forward?
The text refers to assessments made by the American think tank „Institute for the Study of War” (ISW), whose experts claim that Bakhmut is of strategic importance. Just in a different sense than what Zelensky says. „An orderly withdrawal from the city without interrupting the fighting gives the Ukrainians an opportunityTo inflict such heavy losses in men and equipment on Russia that Russia’s ability to continue its offensive would collapse. Analysts report that a similar maneuver was successful in eastern Ukraine last spring, ”writes Gazeta Wyborcza.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner Group whose units are fighting for Vladimir Putin in Ukraine, announced on Wednesday that he had captured the eastern part of Bakhmut. The ISW confirmed the claim and said that the Ukrainians did indeed withdraw from the eastern part of the city on Tuesday. However, Gazeta Wyborcza warns: “The capture of Ostbachmut was not surprising, since the plan for the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from at least part of the city has been discussed by experts for several weeks. But the question is whether Russia will be able to take the whole city and move on.
The Ukrainians will have the upper hand
In a recent video, Yevgeny Prigozhin declared that he had well-trained soldiers waiting to advance further into Ukraine and attack. It seems that Ukraine can currently defend the T0504 access road in Bakhmut, which is very important for logistical and supply reasons. According to the ISW, the Ukrainians can successfully defend this access route and even launch counterattacks. The next few days may witness decisive battles for the Russians. But even if the Russian forces succeed, the units will not have the necessary equipmentTo advance further into the Ukrainian lands. Here Gazeta Wyborcza sees a contradiction with Zelenskyj’s statements, according to which the Russians can occupy other cities after Bakhmut.
“You have yet to come across a Russian army so well trained and equipped,” Prigozhin says in a video, standing next to a tank monument in Bakhmut. According to him, there seems to be a secret Russian army ready to go when Bakhmut falls and opens the operational space. pic.twitter.com/KIrjTgSbO3
— Dimitri (@wartranslated) March 8, 2023
“The Russian forces could try to advance west towards Kostyantynivka (about 20 km from Bakhmut) or northwest along the E40 road towards Slavyansk-Kramatorsk (about 40 km from Bakhmut). However, these two directions of attack cannot be taken at the same time. It will be on Russian forces prioritize one of them until it has any chance of success.However, it should be noted that during the war in Ukraine, Russian leaders have repeatedly expanded their available forces to launch attacks in multiple directions simultaneously.Ukrainians are well prepared for such an approach.You will have The upper hand now.
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