A fierce battle has been raging for months for the Ukrainian city. Though little is left standing, both warring sides want to control the city. European journalist Geert Jan Hahn calls the fact that ten Russians are now dying than one killed Ukrainian soldier. Zelensky’s security adviser earlier said there was one in seven in Bachmut. So it will only increase.’
Hahn points out that killed soldiers weigh more heavily on Ukrainians than on Russians. “Ukraine needs its people more than the Russians. You also have to look at the quality of soldiers on the Eastern Front. Because with the Russians, mainly Wagner’s troops fight at Bachmoet. There are also many prisoners among them.”
Hahn sees the figures as primarily “good for Ukrainian morale”. “But many Ukrainians are also dying. Also, not all Russians are, it seems, equally good at the front.’
Unverifiable data
The fact that the battle of Bachmoet is fierce is also confirmed by US security adviser Mark Milley. He claims to the US Congress that tens of thousands of recruited soldiers are active on the Russian side in Bachmut. In addition, six thousand mercenaries allegedly fought in that region.
However, Hahn stresses that the numbers released by the Ukrainians are ‘unverifiable’. “It’s good for morale, but it’s also important because the battle of Bachmut is being discussed in Ukraine. The question arises whether to keep it and at what cost? It becomes a huge balancing act to look at how many soldiers you want to deploy and how many you want to keep for the next counter-offensive,” Hahn explains.
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