KIEV, UKRAINE – As Kiev military commanders try to shift focus away from the apparent loss of Bakhmut, Russian forces are engaged in a “clearance” operation to clear remaining Ukrainian soldiers from the Bakhmut ruins, a senior Ukrainian official says. announced on Monday. To that suburban battle.
Ukrainian Ground Forces Commander General Oleksandr Shirsky confirmed over the weekend that only a small number of Ukrainian troops are currently in the city of Bakhmut, following Russia’s victory in an almost year-long campaign to seize the city. was tacitly understood. General Silski said a small number of troops would continue to defend to provide “an opportunity to enter the city should circumstances change.”
This comment suggests a change in views on Ukraine the most tragic of war The campaign comes as Russia claims its first significant battlefield success since last summer. For months, Ukraine focused on heavy fighting to prevent Russia from taking Bakhmut, even as Bakhmut’s hold had dwindled to a few blocks in the west. Officials now seem to acknowledge that the focus has shifted from defending Bakhmut to making it harder for the Russian side to hold on.
Although many of the Kiev battlefield claims could not be verified, it is clear that Ukrainian forces have made modest advances north and south of Bakhmut in recent weeks. break through the Russian defensive positions In an important battle that began on May 6th.
During a visit to Ukrainian soldiers on the Eastern Front on Sunday, General Shirsky claimed that Ukrainian forces were advancing on the outskirts of Bakhmut and were “coming to the point of tactically encircling the city.” However, he did not give details of where the Ukrainian army was marching.
regained territory
in Ukraine since
May 10th
approximation
city limits
regained territory
in Ukraine since
May 10th
approximation
city limits
regained territory
in Ukraine since
May 10th
approximation
city limits
regained territory
in Ukraine since
May 10th
approximation
city limits
On Monday, Major Rodion Kudryashov, commander of the Ukrainian 3rd Assault Brigade, said Ukrainian forces continued to make small but significant advances around the city.
“We are looking for weaknesses of the enemy, gradually and step by step we are trying to shut him out, to take advantage of our position and take the initiative,” he said in an interview with the Ukrainian broadcaster RBC Ukraine.
Some analysts said the Ukrainian allegations appeared to be aimed at complicating the failure of Bakhmut’s government.
“The discussion of tactical encirclement is premature and probably reflects a hasty response to the fall of the city,” Konrad Musica, a defense analyst at Lochan Consulting, said on Monday.
But that does not mean that Russia’s control of the city is certain. Much could depend on the plans of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the capricious and bombastic leader of the Russian Wagner mercenary group who spearheaded the Russian Bakhmut attack. Hours after declaring “victory” over the weekend, Prigozhin said he would withdraw the fighters from Friday.
“After June 1, no Wagner PMC fighters will be on the front line until they are reorganized, reequipped and given additional training,” he said.
Withdrawing troops from active fronts would not be an easy task and could leave Russia vulnerable to attack by Ukrainian forces on high ground outside the city. Analysts say Ukraine may be poised to crack open tensions between Wagner and the Russian military leadership, as well as widely reported communication problems within the Russian military.
Even if Mr. Prigozhin does not withdraw his fighters now, fighting could intensify in other areas of the 600-mile-long front, especially with Ukrainian forces preparing a counterattack, and Russia would lose control of Bakhmut. military analysts said.
“Russian forces will likely need additional reinforcements to hold the city of Bakhmut and its flanks, even at the expense of operations in other directions,” the Institute for War Studies wrote. its latest analysis on sunday.
Both Ukrainian and British military intelligence have reported evidence of thousands of Russian troops in the region.
Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hannah Marial said on Monday that “the enemy is sweeping the controlled areas of the city” while Ukraine continues its “struggle for superior heights” around the city. said.
For now, Ukrainian soldiers have served their main purpose in the Battle of Bakhmut, she said.
“Enemy attacks are greatly reduced,” she says. “The enemy suffered heavy casualties, but we were able to gain time for certain actions which will be described later.”