The city of Bakhmut is currently the only sector of the front where Russia is on the offensive. For months there has been fierce fighting for the city. But now the Ukrainians are advancing. And undo hard-won Russian successes.
The Russian breakthrough in the battle for Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine has been a long time coming. Putin’s troops have been attacking the city in eastern Donetsk region with rockets, tanks and artillery since the beginning of August. But their fighting power has been shattered by the Ukrainian defense for just as long.
One conquest is of particular importance to the Russians: the Bakhmut transport hub is the gateway to the Donbass and could open a new front line. The two cities of Kramatorsk and Slavjansk are only 50 kilometers away. Whoever is in control here until the beginning of winter could have a decisive advantage in the battle for eastern Ukraine.
The area around Bakhmut is the only one in which Russia was really on the offensive recently. But even that seems to be changing now. Recently, Ukrainian fighters pushed back the Russian mercenaries by two kilometers within a few hours, writes the news portal “Viségrad24” on Sunday. It is said that the Wagner mercenaries had needed two months to conquer these two kilometers.
The Ukrainians also retook a concrete factory on the outskirts of the city, according to analysts at the US think tank Institute for the Study of War. And Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigoshin recently admitted that the Wagner fighters are currently making slow progress. He spoke of “only 100 to 200 meters per day”.
But despite recent Ukrainian successes, Russia is still on the offensive around the city of 74,000. Putin’s troops are exerting pressure, especially from the east. Some units are said to already be in suburbs. Large parts of the city are said to have already been destroyed by the continuous shelling.
The Russians would use the “scorched earth” method, they say. This is a war tactic in which an attacker destroys everything, including critical infrastructure and transportation routes. Videos and images from social networks show Bakhmut as a bombed-out city.
A victory in Bakhmut would be important for Putin. But he would also be particularly important to Prigozhin and his mercenaries. While Russian units have lost in ground combat in other areas, Prigozhin wants to show that things are different in Bakhmut, reports the Washington Post, based on military experts.
But the Wagner people have been biting their teeth at Bachmut for months. “Our units constantly meet the fiercest enemy resistance, and I note that the enemy is well prepared and motivated, working confidently and harmoniously,” Prigozhin said in a statement released by his catering company’s press service. “It doesn’t stop our fighters from advancing, but I can’t say how long it will take.”
Prior to this, Prigozhin, also known as “Putin’s cook”, is said to have complained to the president about the actions of the Russian military. The Washington Post reports, citing two US officials familiar with the matter. He is said to have demanded more money for his mercenary group. Prigozhin is now recruiting new mercenaries for his troops in Russian prisons. The losses in the ranks of the Wagner henchmen, who continued to be unsuccessful in Bachmut, seem high.
