The American newspaper New York Times, retelling the opinions of military experts about the capture of Bakhmut by the Russians, calls it a “pyrrhic victory”, which will in no way bring the Russian army closer to the stated goal – the capture of the entire territory of the Donetsk region.
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The politics and symbolism of taking Bakhmut aside, experts say Moscow is unlikely to be able to convert the conquest of the devastated city into further progress towards Putin’s ultimate goal of capturing the entire Donbass.
At present, the city is mostly a heap of ruins, without electricity, water and everything else that is needed for the occupying units, and cannot serve as a base for further offensive on Ukrainian territory.
The Ukrainian army retreated to much more convenient defensive lines on the heights outside the city, the authors of the newspaper note.
In addition, following military experts, the NYT notes that the Russians suffered serious losses in the months-long assault on Bakhmut, although their exact scale is unknown.
There were losses on both sides, and, as the newspaper recalls, there are also many questions for the Ukrainian command – both inside the country and among Western military experts: was it worth losing so many soldiers in street battles, wasting so much ammunition, instead of retreating to more convenient lines defense.
The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in another report notes that the Russian armed formations, having taken Bakhmut, found themselves in a dangerous position there, but Russian propaganda and military bloggers hardly talk about it, but celebrate the victory.
Having described the disputes of the Russians about who and how should be rewarded for the capture of Bakhmut, ISW analysts recall the actual state of affairs, as it is seen.
Exaggerated attention to claims of victory in Bakhmut diverts attention from the precarious position of the Russian military in and around Bakhmut […]
The Russian military at Bakhmut is in a vulnerable position, especially as their offensive in the area is likely to have dried up, leaving the Ukrainian army open to fresh counterattacks against the already weakened flanks at Bakhmut.
An additional risk for the Russians, from the point of view of ISW, is the withdrawal of its units from Bakhmut to the rear within a few days, announced by the founder of the PIK “Wagner” Yevgeny Prigogine.
The Russian Ministry of Defense, in the event of the departure of the “Wagnerites”, may have to plug this area with poorly trained and equipped conventional units – such that only in May retreated on the flanks to the north and south of the city.
At the same time, this danger is largely ignored in the Russian information space, writes ISW.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.