Russia’s attack on Ukrainian forces in the town of Bakhmut has intensified, causing a high level of death and destruction. The President of Ukraine, Volodymir Zelenskyy, has reported that there is practically no life left in the city and that the area near Soledad is littered with corpses.
The Russian government is desperately seeking a victory in its conflict with Ukraine that has been fought for a year and a half, especially after it illegally annexed the Donetsk region and three other provinces without making significant progress tukif.
For its part, the situation has become more tense in Bakhmut after Ukrainian forces recaptured the southern city of Kherson in November. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar reported that Russia had increased the dispatch of assault groups in the area.
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Likewise, Pavlo Kyrylenko, the kyiv-appointed governor of the Donetsk region, indicated that the attacks on Soledar and Bakhmut are constant. Likewise, he assured for Russian state television that these came at a high price.
BAKHMUT TODAY
Despite unreliable Russian propaganda, the British Ministry of Defense has claimed that Russian troops and soldiers from the Wagner Group, a private Russian military contractor, have advanced in recent days on Soledar and are likely to control most of the area. zone.
According to the report, Ukrainian forces continue to maintain strong defense lines in the deep zone and control of supply routes. The fighting takes place at the entrances to abandoned salt mine tunnels, which stretch for some 200 kilometres.
According to the governor of the southern region of Mykolaiv, Vitaliy Kim, the Russian forces attacked the port of Ochakiv and its surroundings. As a result of these attacks, according to the Ukrainian presidential office, at least four civilians were killed, while another 30 were injured.
THE OBJECTIVE OF RUSSIA IN DONBAS
The reports also say that Soledar, which lies 10 kilometers north of Bakhmut, is likely Moscow’s immediate military target and part of a strategy to encircle the city, which has been under constant siege for two months.
Moscow’s insistence is no coincidence, as the country led by Vladimir Putin has focused on seizing control of the entire Donbas region. In addition to Bakhmut, which has been abandoned by more than 70% of its inhabitants, other cities in the eastern provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk have also come under assault.
The Donbas region is a vast industrial zone that is located near the border with Russia. Putin has identified this region as a priority since the start of the conflict. Since 2014, Moscow-backed separatists have been fighting in the area against Ukrainian government forces.
Sergei Shoigu, who assumes the post of Defense Minister in Russia, has been heavily criticized for his management of the turn that the conflict has taken in the last months of the year. However, despite this, President Putin maintains his trust in him.
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According to Shoigu, in order to return the advantage to the Russian side, some adjustments will be made to the front strategy, involving artificial intelligence systems and better tactical equipment for combat personnel.
The measure also responds to a need to make his message clear to international viewers: it is no longer just about fighting Ukraine. But also against the allies of this nation in NATO. After all, it is no secret to anyone that NATO has firmly intervened in the conflict with technology, key information and weapons on Ukraine’s behalf.
As for Bakhmut, more than 90% of its 70,000 inhabitants have fled for more than two months as Moscow has focused on seizing control of the entire Donbas region.
