Sergei Shoigu, the Minister of Defense of Russia, has revealed the rationale behind their deployment of forces for extended periods to Bakhmut, an industrial city in the Donetsk area of Ukraine. This is the first time he has explained the objective of this endeavor.

Pravda reported that Russia’s Minister of Defense, Shoigu, stated that the Russian Armed Forces could make substantial progress within Ukraine if Bakhmut is taken.

Bakhmut has been the site of some of the fiercest confrontations ever since Russia initiated its full-blown invasion of Ukraine early last year. Fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops near the city is becoming increasingly violent as Moscow strives to gain its first noteworthy victory on the battleground since the summer of 2022.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close associate of Vladimir Putin, established the Wagner Group. This paramilitary organization has taken a prominent role in the Russian Bakhmut offensive alongside its conventional military forces.