In Bachmut, every centimeter is still being fought over. Footage shows the extent of the destruction – and a US institute predicts that Russian troops will be reinforced.
According to US military experts, Russia has probably joined new forces for attacks in the battle for the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. With this, Moscow wants to prevent a Ukrainian breakthrough, the Washington-based Institute for War Studies (ISW) writes on Tuesday (local time).
The experts referred to statements by Denis Puschilin, the Moscow chief of the partly Russian-occupied Donetsk region, according to which Russian troops had been reinforced.
Are Russians falling into a “mousetrap”?
According to the ISW, a Russian military blogger claimed that four battalions were stationed on the flanks around Bakhmut. According to Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Maljar, Ukrainian troops are advancing towards the fronts around the city. This would further close the “mousetrap” for the Russian soldiers indicated by the Ukrainian army commander Olexander Syrskyj.
Bachmut, a city of rubble and ashes
The city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, which once had a population of more than 70,000, has been at the center of conflict for months. Today only a few people live there. The largest Russian-language Telegram channel Nexta published aerial photographs of the city showing the progress of the destruction. It is unknown when the photos were taken.
Ukrainian troops are likely to advance, especially on the city’s flanks. “In recent days, our soldiers have liberated about 20 square kilometers north and south of the suburbs of Bakhmut,” Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar said on Tuesday. However, the city center is still firmly in Russian hands. Here “the enemy” continued to advance, Maljar added.
The start of the Ukrainian counter-offensive has also been awaited for weeks. However, military experts do not see Bachmut as the center of a counterattack. In their opinion, advances such as in Bakhmut should provoke a concentration of Russian troops there, which weakens other front sectors.
Kiev: 400,000 Russians in action
According to military intelligence estimates, about 400,000 Russians are currently deployed in Ukraine. The purely military component consists of some 370,000 soldiers, secret service chief Kyrylo Budanov said on state television in Kiev on Tuesday.
There are also about 20,000 members of the Russian Guard, an elite paramilitary unit in the Russian Federation. Private groups provided nearly 8,000 additional fighters, such as the Wagner mercenary group.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
