The Russian occupying army “largely” abandoned the idea of encircling the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Bakhmut. This is written by the American Institute for the Study of War ISW.
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According to ISW analysts, this is indicated by the deployment of low-skilled Russian forces on the flanks around the city. The Russian Ministry of Defense likely “started deprioritizing efforts in the Bakhmut direction in January 2023” when it stopped the recruitment of prisoners by the Wagner PPK.
The Ukrainian defenders probably broke through some of the Russian lines during localized counterattacks near Bakhmut. The commander of the Eastern Group of Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel-General Alexander Syrsky, reported that the Russian troops retreated up to 2 km to their rear in unidentified sectors of the Bakhmut Front.
The responses of Prigozhin and the Ministry of Defense reflect the growing panic in the Russian media over rumors of planned Ukrainian counter-offensives and indicate the growing concern of Wagner and the leadership of the Russian Ministry of Defense, as well as instructions from the Kremlin not to downplay Ukraine’s successes – goes.
In March and April, the Russian Ministry of Defense briefly allocated more resources to the front line in Bakhmut, sending T-90 tanks, airborne troops and mobilized reservists to Wagner there.
The inability of these units to carry out even such a limited mission indicates that the Russian flanks around Bakhmut and other similar manned sectors of the front are vulnerable to Ukrainian counterattacks, the report says.
Analysts suggest that the Wagnerites may continue to conduct frontal attacks in Bakhmut, which will allow Ukrainian troops to conduct an organized withdrawal from threatening areas and not face large-scale encirclement.
Source: Racurs
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