Bakhmut liberation will detonate Russian military and political elites – Piontkovsky

He stated this on Espreso. 

“You know, what happened on the 24th significantly weakened the personal power of the leader. This is typical in a criminal organization: the leader's power depends on the unquestioning obedience of all members. When someone challenges the leader without facing consequences, it automatically weakens their power and encourages others to do the same in the future. If a criminal like Prigozhin can do it, General Popov, a respected military professional, believes he can make similar claims to his superiors. More people will follow suit. This shows that Putin has completely lost control. It may not happen overnight, but it will affect the fighting ability of Russian troops,” he explained. 

The political expert believes that the liberation of Bakhmut could lead to a conflict among the military and political leaders in Russia.

“There is also intense fighting happening around Bakhmut. From a military perspective, Bakhmut may not be as important as the liberation of Melitopol, for example. However, given the crisis in Russia, I can assure you that the Ukrainian leadership understands the significance of liberating Bakhmut. It will trigger an explosion within the Russian military and political elite. Imagine how the narratives will unfold: Prigozhin achieved Bakhmut's liberation, and Shoigu, Gerasimov, and Putin—let me quote Prigozhin's words—messed up again. And then there will be more people following their lead,” he added. 

• On July 12, it was reported that the Defense Forces are holding back the advance of Russian troops in the east, pushing on the sides of Bakhmut and defeating the enemy in the south. 

• On July 14, Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Hanna Maliar, stated that the Armed Forces of Ukraine made progress on the southern side of the Bakhmut direction.