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5-store residential building in Bakhmut city (Donetsk Oblast of Ukraine) after Russian airstrike in the night on 15 September 2022. (Source: State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Wikimedia Commons)
The city of Bakhmut in Eastern Ukraine has been the site of intense fighting this year. In March, Russian forces launched an offensive to take control of the city, but Ukrainian troops have been able to hold their ground and reclaim the region. The battle for Bakhmut has been long and challenging, with both sides suffering heavy losses. However, Ukraine is now in a position to reclaim the region and end the conflict.
The battle for Bakhmut has been raging since last year when Russia began its offensive on the city. Since then, both sides have reported heavy losses as they fight to control the region. However, despite these losses, Ukrainian forces have managed to hold their ground and prevent Russian forces from gaining a foothold in Bakhmut. This success is due in part to support from other countries, such as Finland, who are sending fighter jets to help defend against Russian aggression.
Russia’s Wagner Group mercenaries have been leading the charge for the Russians, while Ukrainian forces have relied on artillery and air support to repel the invasion. However, the most recent attacks have led to massive losses for the Russian Army, according to the Institute of the Study of War.
“US Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff General Mark Milley reported on March 29 that the Wagner Group has around 6,000 professional personnel and 20,000 to 30,000 recruits, mostly convicts, fighting in the Bakhmut area. US National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby reported in late December 2022 that the Wagner Group had 50,000 personnel in Ukraine including 10,000 contractors and 40,000 convict recruits. The Wagner Group has deployed the vast majority of its force to support the offensive to capture Bakhmut, and it is likely that the difference between Kirby’s 50,000 figure in Ukraine and Milley’s 26,000 to 36,000 figure in the Bakhmut area is the result of casualties from Wagner’s attritional offensive on Bakhmut. Kirby reported on February 17 that the Wagner Group had suffered 30,000 casualties, with 9,000 dead, in operations in Ukraine.”
On March 30, US Gen. Mark Milley spoke to US lawmakers at a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Russia’s military forces in Bakhmut. He described it as a “slaughter-fest” for Russian forces and warned that if Bakhmut fell to Russian forces, President Vladimir Putin would “sell this victory to the West.”
“They are suffering an enormous amount of casualties in the Bakhmut area. The Ukrainians are inflicting a lot of death and destruction on these guys.”
Milley added that the desperate attempt from the Russians has been very costly so far.
The city of Bakhmut in Eastern Ukraine has been the site of intense fighting this year. In March, Russian forces launched an offensive to take control of the city, but Ukrainian troops have been able to hold their ground and reclaim the region. The battle for Bakhmut has been long and challenging, with both sides suffering heavy losses. However, Ukraine is now in a position to reclaim the region and end the conflict.
The battle for Bakhmut has been raging since last year when Russia began its offensive on the city. Since then, both sides have reported heavy losses as they fight to control the region. However, despite these losses, Ukrainian forces have managed to hold their ground and prevent Russian forces from gaining a foothold in Bakhmut. This success is due in part to support from other countries, such as Finland, who are sending fighter jets to help defend against Russian aggression.
Russia’s Wagner Group mercenaries have been leading the charge for the Russians, while Ukrainian forces have relied on artillery and air support to repel the invasion. However, the most recent attacks have led to massive losses for the Russian Army, according to the Institute of the Study of War.
“US Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff General Mark Milley reported on March 29 that the Wagner Group has around 6,000 professional personnel and 20,000 to 30,000 recruits, mostly convicts, fighting in the Bakhmut area. US National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby reported in late December 2022 that the Wagner Group had 50,000 personnel in Ukraine including 10,000 contractors and 40,000 convict recruits. The Wagner Group has deployed the vast majority of its force to support the offensive to capture Bakhmut, and it is likely that the difference between Kirby’s 50,000 figure in Ukraine and Milley’s 26,000 to 36,000 figure in the Bakhmut area is the result of casualties from Wagner’s attritional offensive on Bakhmut. Kirby reported on February 17 that the Wagner Group had suffered 30,000 casualties, with 9,000 dead, in operations in Ukraine.”
On March 30, US Gen. Mark Milley spoke to US lawmakers at a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Russia’s military forces in Bakhmut. He described it as a “slaughter-fest” for Russian forces and warned that if Bakhmut fell to Russian forces, President Vladimir Putin would “sell this victory to the West.”
“They are suffering an enormous amount of casualties in the Bakhmut area. The Ukrainians are inflicting a lot of death and destruction on these guys.”
Milley added that the desperate attempt from the Russians has been very costly so far.
“So it’s a slaughter-fest for the Russians. They’re getting hammered in the vicinity of Bakhmut, and the Ukrainians have fought very, very well.”
The Ukrainian artillery targeted Russian armored guns at up to 28 kilometers to repel their advances. This shows how desperate Ukrainians are as they fight for their homeland against overwhelming odds.
Milley added that the Russian forces have been eternally exhausted. Combine that with poor military leadership, and their entire Army is in shackles.
“The enemy exhausted all its reserves. The density of assaults dropped by several times.”
“Before, they could assault in all directions simultaneously and in groups of not less than 20, 30 or 40 people, but gradually it is dying down.”
The battle for Bakhmut had become one of the most intense battles between Ukrainian and Russian forces. It remains unclear who will emerge victorious from this conflict, but one thing is sure: it will be a long and bloody battle before either side can claim victory over Bakhmut.
The battle for Bakhmut is still ongoing, but Ukraine is now in a solid position to reclaim the region and end the conflict. This would be a major victory for Ukraine and could mark an important step towards peace in Eastern Europe. With continued support from other countries, this conflict can soon end and bring stability back to the region.
Ukraine has already taken steps to strengthen its defenses in Bakhmut. For example, they have deployed Challenger 2 tanks along the two main roads leading into the city from Ukrainian-controlled territory. This will help protect against Russian artillery fire and give them a better chance at counterattacking if necessary. Additionally, Ukraine uses hidden command posts to direct its soldiers and coordinate strategies for defending against Russian attacks.
Ukrainian soldiers are saying Russians are using heavy artillery in their advances, and in a way, their strategies have become predictable.
“This battle is a kind of shooting range with a parallel raining of artillery on us,” one Ukrainian soldier wrote on the Telegram app. “They are dismantling the city. It seems that there was a new wave of assaults on them today from all sides in the north, in the south; in short, while all our positions are holding, it has become extremely difficult here.”
With these strategies in place, Ukraine stands a good chance of winning back control of Bakhmut from Russian forces. However, the combination of Ukrainian tenacity and US/NATO military support will be key in achieving victory over Russia in this ongoing conflict.
For Milley, he said that it could only be a matter of time before Ukraine can finally claim its much-deserved victory in the region.
“The Ukrainians are doing a very effective area defense that is proven to be very costly to the Russians. For about the last 20, 21 days, the Russians have not made any progress whatsoever in and around Bahkmut,” he said.
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