Bakhmut is key for Ukrainian and Russian armies only because of its political value - military expert John Spencer

 He shared this in an exclusive interview in the Spotlight Ukraine program on Espreso TV. 

The military expert believes that the importance of the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region lies in its political value.

“President Zelenskyy visited the city in December. He brought a flag from Bakhmut to the US Congress, the largest aid provider. Prigozhin, a Wagner supporter, needs a win to make his political ambitions known: “Look, I can win when the entire Russian army cannot.” So, this is only a political value,” John Spencer is convinced. 

He is convinced that the Ukrainian military leadership's decision to continue the defense of the city is rational.

“Bakhmut has such great value. Bakhmut is holding, Bakhmut is a fight for Ukraine, but if the Russian military wants to continue to throw waves of casualties at the brave Ukrainian defenders, then there is a saying "don't interrupt the enemy when it is making a mistake". But it is not illogical to hold Bakhmut,” the chair of the Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute noted.

At the same time, John Spencer emphasized that even the capture of the city by the occupying forces would not change the course of the war: “It will not be a turning point, it will be a fake political victory for the Wagner prisoners and the Russian military.”