Russian offensive tactics turn Bakhmut into strategic city – military analyst Hetman

Military analyst Oleksii Hetman said this on Espreso.

“Bakhmut has become an important strategic city. The tactics or strategy of the Russian offensive turned it into a strategic object. Why? The arc from Kupiansk to Vuhledar is almost 500 kilometers. They tried to break through our defense line in Bakhmut in order to send a large number of troops there to move towards Lyman and Sloviansk. To try to surround our grouping and move further south to Vuhledar and the south of the Zaporizhzhia region. So far, they have not succeeded, and we are holding the line there,” he said.

Hetman spoke about the number of Russian troops along this arc.

“In Bakhmut, about 25,000-30,000 Russian troops and several hundred tanks are concentrated. In the north of this arc towards Lyman, there are at least 100,000 troops, 2,000 armored vehicles and 700 artillery pieces. In the south, near Vuhledar, there is a similar grouping. There are up to 150,000 troops, 2,000 armored vehicles and 700 artillery pieces. They were trying to dissolve our defense line through Bakhmut and then make two rings of encirclement. That is why Bakhmut has become such an important city to prevent them from breaking through the defense along this entire arc,” the expert emphasized.

He added that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are holding on, and even if there is a withdrawal of troops, fortifications have already been built in Chasiv Yar.

“Bakhmut has been turned into a fortress city, and it's better to keep the defense there. If we withdraw, it will not mean defeat in the war, betrayal or anything like that. There is no point in sacrificing the lives of our people and allowing them to be surrounded,” the Hetman summarized.