According to journalists, the Russian Federation will use huge military resources to capture the city. However, for every killed Ukrainian defender, there are 5 Russian occupiers.
Russia is trying to take Bakhmut, a city in the Donetsk region, for the sake of a political victory, and Ukraine is trying to exhaust Russian troops as much as possible. Writes about this edition of the BBC.
According to Deputy Mayor Alexander Marchenko, only a few thousand civilians remained in the underground shelters of the city, which previously housed about 70,000 people. They hide from the fighting without water, gas and electricity.
“The city is almost destroyed. There is not a single building that would not remain untouched in this war,” Marchenko told reporters.
Why does Russia need Bakhmut
The publication writes that the Russian Federation will use huge military resources to capture Bakhmut. Thus, between 20,000 and 30,000 Russian servicemen were killed or wounded while trying to storm the city.
According to journalists, the Kremlin needs a victory, albeit a symbolic one, since the military command has long been unable to boast of success at the front. The Russian Federation wants to sell some kind of victory to the loyal public that supports the war and propagandists.
Journalists write that Russia also has a military goal. According to the high military command of the invaders, the capture of Bakhmut will allow them to seize a foothold for further territorial gains. We are talking about the capture of Kramatorsk and Slavyansk.
Why Ukraine violently holds Bakhmut
The publication writes that the main strategic goal of the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is to use the battle for the city to weaken the Russian army. NATO sources estimate that for every Ukrainian defender killed in Bakhmut, there are five Russian occupiers.
Also, according to journalists, Bakhmut has political significance for Ukraine. So, President Volodymyr Zelensky “made the city an emblem of resistance.”
What will happen if the Russian Federation captures Bakhmut
The publication writes that the occupation of the city can raise the morale of the Russians. However, this will not directly affect military operations.
Mick Ryan, a strategist and former Australian general, believes that there will be no rapid advance by Russian forces.
“Ukrainians … will withdraw to defensive zones in the Kramatorsk areas, which they had eight years to prepare. Any offensive in the Kramatorsk area is likely to be as bloody for the Russians as their campaign for Bakhmut,” he said.
US intelligence has warned that Russia could go further west in a war against Ukraine. The potential for a direct military clash between the Russian Federation and the West exists. Moscow will pose a formidable challenge to Washington in key areas over the next 10 years, intelligence officials say.
Also, US intelligence spoke about the plans of the Kremlin. According to Avril Haynes, Russia will deepen its ties with China despite international pressure on Beijing.
