Russia and Ukraine are preparing for a new round of battles in Bachmut, it seems. Ukraine is sending new troops to the area. And this will lead to a bloody battle, thinks defense specialist Peter Wijninga of the Center for Strategic Studies in The Hague.
“Something has been going on for a long time: the Russians are trying to get their hands on Bachmoet and the surrounding areas at all costs,” Wijninga says. “It is the stepping stone to the last piece of Donetsk province that is still in Ukrainian hands. If the Russians got their hands on that area, they would have achieved their main objective. So it’s in Ukraine’s interest to prevent that.’
However, as Russian attacks continue, Ukraine has decided to increase troop numbers in that area. “This is also an indication that Ukraine is losing a lot of people and resources there,” Wijninga continues, referring to the number of soldiers dying there.
Bloody battle
He speaks of a bloody battle on both sides at Bachmoet. “Russians sacrifice people with reasonable ease, which they demonstrated during the war,” Wijninga continues. “This is also part of the history of the Russian war. It also means that there are many casualties on the Ukrainian side, and sending reinforcements is not only to prevent the Russians from winning there, but also to replace the Ukrainian losses.’
However, according to Wijninga, there is no strategic withdrawal by the Ukrainians to save the men. “It always costs more people to win back, so I think they want to avoid Bachmoet falling at all costs,” he continues. ‘It’s a position to take the rest of western Donetsk, and they don’t want the Russians to win. They have made little profit in recent months, indeed, indeed, and may even prevent the Russians from actually achieving their primary goal: to conquer the Donbass.
Source: BNR
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