Russian troops are using less equipment and aircraft to storm Bakhmut - military expert Serhiy Zgurets

Heavy fighting for Bakhmut continues

The Russian army has been trying to capture the city of Bakhmut for 7 months. The situation in and around Bakhmut is becoming more tense. Russians are trying to make breakthroughs with frontal attacks and bypass Bakhmut from the south and north.

Mykola Volokhov, commander of the Terra reconnaissance unit of the Azov tactical group, is convinced that the decision to ban entry to Bakhmut is fully justified. According to the military, it is better for our units to work when there are fewer civilians in the city. Volokhov also emphasized the importance of evacuating those people who are still in Bakhmut. The city is not expected to see anything but fighting and artillery shelling in the near future. The situation in the city is now consistently tense. The fighting continues. However, the commander of the Terra reconnaissance unit noted that Ukrainian troops, despite the strong pressure of the Russian occupiers, are holding their positions and repelling enemy attacks.

Russian troops have no fire control over the logistics connection with Bakhmut

Mykola Volokhov said that all the enemy's attempts to break through to the logistics routes through which Ukrainian units in Bakhmut receive ammunition and equipment have failed. According to Volokhov, the city can be reached quite safely. All rotation activities are carried out as usual. Our servicemen are leaving the city and other units are entering instead. Today, the enemy has no fire control over the logistics connection with Bakhmut. He also emphasized that Ukrainian units are well supplied, which is very important in order to successfully deter the enemy.

Map of the fighting in the Donetsk region as of February 13.

However, there are several changes in the enemy's attacks in the Bakhmut direction. According to Volokhov, Russian troops have begun to use armored vehicles less and less to attack Ukrainian positions. More precisely, they are trying not to bring heavy armored vehicles close to Ukrainian positions. The reason for this decision is the excellent work of Ukrainian artillery. That is why Russia's attempts to capture Bakhmut with the help of equipment are futile. As for aviation, the enemy has also significantly reduced its use. According to Volokhov, Russian forces are protecting and amassing aircraft in preparation for active operations in the air. However, it is likely that Russians are afraid to use attack aircraft because of the work of the Ukrainian air force. In particular, man-portable air defense systems.

Russian troops are reinforced with electronic reconnaissance means near Bakhmut

The commander of the Terra reconnaissance unit said that the Russian army is very well equipped with electronic means of radio reconnaissance and electronic warfare. According to Volokhov, after Russia withdrew from Kharkiv and Kherson regions, all electronic warfare equipment from these areas was concentrated near Bakhmut. However, despite the difficulties, Ukrainian drone operators find opportunities and continue to work. Volokhov emphasized that the operation in the Bakhmut area is the most difficult since the full-scale Russian invasion.

Ramstein meeting on February 14: waiting for decisions on aviation for Ukraine

Valeriy Romanenko, a military aviation expert, believes that the February 14 meeting in the Ramstein format will decide on training Ukrainian pilots on Western fighters. It is not necessary to start with a decision to transfer the aircraft to Ukraine. They can start with pilot training. Romanenko emphasized that even though the next Ramstein is called an aviation one, there are no signs that the decision to transfer aircraft will be made. However, it is likely that Ukrainian pilots will soon be trained to fly Western-style fighters. Such training takes more than 6 months. During this time, possibly at the next meeting in the Ramstein format, the allies may make more radical decisions regarding military aircraft. We are talking about the type of fighter aircraft, the number and types of weapons to be mounted on them.

The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, a multifunctional light fighter.

Storm Shadow long-range missiles are a great option for Ukrainian aviation

Valeriy Romanenko said that Storm Shadow long-range air-to-ground missiles, which may be provided to Ukraine by the UK, can be easily adapted to Ukrainian fighter jets. According to him, these types of missiles are easier to adapt than Harm anti-radar missiles. Because Harm missiles, once received, need to be processed and receive the appropriate signal for them. That is, an additional unit is needed to use them. British Storm Shadow missiles are programmed with target information before launch. This missile can also be used on Ukrainian Soviet-made fighters without any problems. The only question is the distance. If Ukraine receives an export version of Storm Shadow missiles, their maximum range is over 260 kilometers. France and the United Kingdom have Storm Shadow missiles with a range of more than 500 kilometers.