Ukraine is trying to prevent larger cities from becoming a theater of war. Ukrainian and Russian forces are locked in a bloody urban war.
Fierce battles for control of the city of Bahmut continue.
On Monday, the leadership of the Ukrainian army – the commander of the ground forces Oleksandr Syrskyi and the Commander of the Defense Forces Valery Zaluzhnyi – discussed the president to Volodymyr Zelensky with. They ended up favoring sending reinforcements to Bahmut.
Commanding the Ukrainian forces in Bahmut Volodymyr Nazarenko says that no order to retreat has been given and the defense is in harsh conditions.
– The situation in Bahmut and its surroundings is pure hell, like on the entire eastern front, said Nazarenko in a video he published on Telegram.
Ylen’s reporter in Kiev Maxim Fedorov According to Ukraine, by holding Bahmut, Ukraine is trying to prevent the continuation of the Russian attack on the larger cities of the region, Slovyansk and Kramatorsk.
Tens of thousands of civilians still live in these.
Information writer, lieutenant colonel evp. Jarmo Nieminen says in Radio 1’s Ykkösaamu interview that Russian troops would follow if the Ukrainians retreated from Bahmut.
Evaluated by the US think tank ISW (you will switch to another service), that Ukraine is preparing for an orderly withdrawal. Ukraine has destroyed two bridges to prevent Russian forces from using them to advance.
Although Ukraine has reduced its forces in the region since December, according to Nieminen, it still has the ability to hold Bahmut:
– Ukraine has three brigades in Bahmut, about 3,000*–*4,000 men, and around it 15 mechanized brigades of elite troops, says Nieminen.
The best units in use in Russia
He points out that Russia is also using its best troops in the attack – Wagner company mercenaries, paratroopers and Spetsnaz units.
According to Nieminen, Ukraine may have to withdraw its troops if Russia succeeds in cutting off their supply connections:
– It doesn’t look like the Ukrainian army is preparing to fight under siege. But Russia’s ability to attack with its professional soldiers may also weaken, says Nieminen.
Defending Bahmut consumes Russian resources, reminds Maxim Fedorov:
– According to Ukraine, Russia’s advance of even one street could mean the loss of a couple of thousand soldiers.
Director of the Russian Wagner mercenary company Yevgeny Prigozhin complained on his own video channel that Wagner’s fighters have not received the ammunition promised by Moscow. He said the Russian front would collapse if Wagner had to retreat.
Ukrainian soldiers dissatisfied
There is also criticism among the Ukrainian forces.
According to the Ukrainian newspaper Kyiv Independent (you will switch to another service) Ukrainian soldiers on rest break in Kostiantynivka said poorly trained battalions are being thrown into the front line unprepared.
There are gaps in the support provided by artillery, armored vehicles and Drones.
An infantry soldier interviewed in the magazine Oleksandr said that it can be bad if the Ukrainians do not withdraw in time. A mortar man Illia speculated that Bahmut is effectively besieged.
Ukrainian soldiers complained that it could take hours to get support from their own artillery and mortars. On the other hand, according to them, the Russian troops are able to fire on the Ukrainian positions continuously.