According to Ivan Kirichevsky, in the battles for Bakhmut, the Russian army lost about 200 tanks and tens of thousands of soldiers. This amount of forces would be enough for an offensive at the strategic level.
The Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed so many enemy troops near Bakhmut that this would be enough for an offensive operation of a strategic level. This was stated by Defense Express expert Ivan Kirichevsky in a commentary for Espreso.
According to the expert, during the months of the offensive on Bakhmut, Russian troops lost about 50,000 soldiers killed and wounded and up to 200 tanks.
“Roughly speaking, if these troops had not been destroyed, the Russians could have used them for a second attack on Kiev. The success that is now being laid for planning a counteroffensive may be unexpectedly greater and faster than it is now imagined,” Kirichevsky believes.
He added that the withdrawal of the Defense Forces across the Bakhmutka River was systematic. Thus, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have created a zone of destruction where the invaders can be attacked by all types of available weapons. At the same time, Kirichevskiy urges not to expect that the Ukrainian military will stabilize the situation at the front for months for a long time. As long as there is an opportunity, the expert continues, the Defense Forces will continue to defend Bakhmut.
An approximate map of the battles for Bakhmut as of March 12
Photo: deepstatemap.live
The importance of the city also lies in the fact that it affects the future counter-offensive of Ukraine, so the fighters must maintain high morale.
Recall, the commander of one of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Denis Yaroslavsky said that in Bakhmut there is a possibility of a repeat of Debaltseve, when the supply lines of the army were cut off.
On March 11, British intelligence announced that the Wagner PMC had advanced in Bakhmut and shifted the front line in the city.
