After the capture of the town of Soledar by “Wagner” mercenaries, the battles for Bakhmut and neighboring towns became the hottest point of the war in Ukraine. We are talking about a small town, Bakhmut had about 70 thousand inhabitants before the war. Its significance in the general tactical plan of the war is, to put it mildly, controversial.

The Institute for the Study of War said that control of Soledar “will not necessarily allow Russian forces to exercise control over critical Ukrainian land lines of communication with Bakhmut,” the top prize.

Why are the Russians spending so much resources and people on conquering Bakhmut?

Because it would be the first big hit he could present to his native population in months. Because they had to move away from Kherson and Kharkov, and the prestige of the Russian army, already significantly undermined since the beginning of the war, suffers greatly.

On the other hand, the defenders of the city, who in turn suffered heavy losses, turned resistance in the ruins of the city into an excuse for national pride and defiance of the Russians.

At the same time, while the Russian army concentrates its best units in this direction, it cannot use them elsewhere, which is initially a great victory for the Ukrainians.

This means that the battles to conquer Bakhmut, which will most likely be house-to-house, as in Soledar, will require considerable effort and a certain number of men, which means that both sides can hardly afford to moment, writes Il Giornale.

Ukrainian troops attack Russian positions near Bakhmut (photo: LIBKOS / AP / Profimedia)

Russia still has obvious logistical problems slowing its advance (the fighting for Soledar lasted more than a month), highlighted by the fact that with the capture of the city there was no longer the push forward expected when the enemy retreats.

On the other hand, Ukraine is suffering from soldier fatigue and wear and tear of material assets after two summer counteroffensives that led to the liberation of Kharkiv Oblast and the city of Kherson.

Germany’s foreign intelligence service is concerned about the losses suffered by the Ukrainian army in the battle with Russian troops in the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, Der Spiegel reported on Friday, citing Reuters.

The BND intelligence service said in a secret meeting this week with a group of Bundestag lawmakers dealing with security issues that the Ukrainian army is losing three-digit numbers of soldiers every day, writes Spiegel. , referring to the information received.

The BND has warned that if Russian forces capture Bakhmut, it will have significant consequences as it will allow Russia to advance further. He also said that the Russian military is using its own soldiers as cannon fodder in Bakhmut, Spiegel adds.

The city of Kramatorsk is the key to Ukrainian defense in Donbas

Bakhmut, like other cities in the region, was heavily fortified after 2014, making it difficult for the Russians to attack, but it is the last major settlement before Kramatorsk and Slavyansk, both cities of great importance.

Given that the Russian offensive is coming from the southeast through the development of the front line to reach Kramatorsk, the Russian army must also occupy Bakhmut in order not to leave behind dangerous pockets of resistance.

Bakhmut is important for Kyiv because it allows the Zelenskyi government to show its Western allies that the Ukrainian army is capable of resisting a strike by the Russian army, not only for military reasons, and for this purpose all resources are used to defend the city.

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Ukrainian soldiers in the trenches on the Bakhmut front (photo: AA/ABACA / Abaca Press / Profimedia)

What Moscow wants from Kramatorsk

But the real nerve center of Ukrainian defense in Donbas is Kramatorsk.

A city with approximately 159,000 inhabitants is important for the “closure” of Donbass. Therefore, the capture of Kramatorsk would make it possible to capture a key node of the road and railway system: lines to Donetsk, Kharkiv and central Ukraine begin from the city.

The terrain around the city is relatively flat, with hills about 200-300 meters above sea level, and mostly dotted with cultivated fields, making it easier for mechanized and armored formations to advance.

Further to the west of Kramatorsk, the situation changes somewhat, wetlands and forests appear, but we believe that there is currently no desire to go further in Moscow’s plans.

Given the high strategic and political value of capturing the city, the Kremlin would actually also achieve a very large propaganda result that could be used on the domestic front, i.e. the “liberation” of Donbass, although a separate piece of territory is still missing.

Kyiv risks the collapse of the front

If Kramatorsk and Slovyansk fall to Russia, the entire Ukrainian front in the region is likely to collapse, given the difficulties faced by the army in Kyiv, which currently lacks armored vehicles and tanks, and the promises of the West, especially the US and UK , they are few and likely not to reach the front line for several weeks.

Therefore, the road to Kramatorsk will be difficult for the Russians, but the fate of the conflict in Donbas will be played out there, not in Soledar or Bakhmut.

Sources: Magazine,Der Spiegel, Reuters, HotNews.ro

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