Bakhmut effect: AFU "tie up" Russian troops in Donbas and create grounds for counteroffensive

But Russians have not yet managed to completely capture or at least surround the fortress city, despite round-the-clock attacks and shelling.

The occupiers are pressing on Bakhmut from three directions: the Bohdanivka-Khromove area and the Ivanivske area. These are the flanks of the Ukrainian grouping.

The advance of Russian troops in these areas would significantly worsen the location of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Bakhmut: the main communication routes pass through these settlements. In addition, over the past day, the enemy conducted futile offensives in the direction of the settlements of Bohdanivka, Ivanivske and Oleksandro-Shultine.

“The advance of Russian troops in these areas would significantly worsen the location of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Bakhmut: the main communication routes pass through these settlements”

Russians are putting pressure on the Bakhmut garrison of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from three sides.

In Bakhmut itself, the occupiers are trying to advance directly from the center to the western part of the city. Fighting continues in the area of Tchaikovskyi, Yuvileyna, Levanevskyi and Tolbukhin streets. In the city, Wagner mercenaries and units of the 106th Division of the Russian Airborne Troops are operating from the Russian side. But the enemy fails to take control of the city.

According to the commander of the Eastern Military Group, Oleksandr Syrskyi, the situation is quite complicated. However, in some parts of the city, his units counterattacked the enemy and they abandoned some positions.

“Fighting in the Bakhmut direction is of both tactical and strategic importance for the entire situation in Donbas”

The fighting in the Bakhmut direction is of both tactical and strategic importance for the entire situation in Donbas. In my opinion, it allowed the Ukrainian Defense Forces to accomplish four key tasks:

Firstly, during the 9 months of fighting in Donbas, Ukraine managed to carry out mobilization activities, increasing the number of troops to one million;

Secondly, we managed to train personnel not only at training grounds in Ukraine but also at training grounds in NATO countries – we are talking about elements of mastering high-tech weapons;

Thirdly, we received samples of these weapons, and these are offensive weapons;

Fourthly, we managed to build the second and third lines of defense and "utilize" a significant number of enemy personnel, in particular from Wagner PMC.

The fighting in the Bakhmut area is a solution to the main problems – deterring the Russian occupiers' offensive and creating the preconditions for a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

“According to unofficial reports, Moscow has set itself another deadline for the capture of Bakhmut – they want to take the city by May 9”

According to the Russian side, in particular the war criminal Prigozhin, three brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are currently concentrated in the area of Bakhmut. Moreover, Prigozhin himself draws very frightening pictures of a possible counteroffensive by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in this direction, insisting that due to the lack of defensive positions of the occupying Russian army, a successful counteroffensive by the Ukrainian army could lead to a military catastrophe for the Russian occupiers.

Let me remind you that, according to unofficial reports, Moscow has set itself another deadline for the capture of Bakhmut – they want to take the city by May 9. On this section of the front line in Donbas, Russia has concentrated an army that is comparable to the army of the Czech Republic or Hungary: almost 30,000 soldiers.

Exclusively for Espreso TV.

About the author. Dmytro Sniehyrov, columnist for Espreso TV.

The editorial staff do not always share the opinions expressed by the blog authors.