Russia asserts that it has fully taken control of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, but Kyiv maintains that it still retains authority over a portion of the city.
Bakhmut, once home to approximately 70,000
people, has witnessed eight months of intense combat, constituting the
bloodiest battle since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Russian President Vladimir Putin commended
his troops and the Wagner Group, a private military organization, for
"liberating" the city on Saturday. However, Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that while Russian troops are present in Bakhmut,
the city is "not occupied."
Colonel General Oleksandr Syrsky, the
commander of Ukraine's Ground Forces, indicated on Sunday that Ukrainian troops
are nearing the capture of the city through a tactical encirclement. Deputy
Defense Minister Hanna Malyar added that Ukrainian forces are making progress
"in the suburbs on the flanks" and have effectively
"semi-encircled the city."
Nonetheless, why has Bakhmut, a previously
unremarkable city situated in the salt-mining region of eastern Ukraine, gained
such significance in the Russia-Ukraine conflict? Here is what you need to
know:
Limited strategic importance: For Russia to
advance further into Ukraine and achieve Putin's objective of "liberating
the Donbas," capturing Bakhmut is crucial. Nevertheless, the extraordinary
attention placed on the city by both sides surpasses its strategic value.
Whoever gains full control of Bakhmut would then confront a series of defensive
lines surrounding it.
Instead, the city's significance lies in the
symbolism it has acquired through months of intense and entrenched warfare.
Bakhmut has become a testament to Ukraine's unwavering and resolute resistance.
It has witnessed some of the fiercest fighting since Russia's invasion, with
images of blood-soaked trench warfare shared on messaging platforms like
Telegram, and "Bakhmut holds!" emerging as a popular slogan on social
media.
On the other hand, Russia desperately needs a
triumph. Following its initial advances in the early stages of the full-scale
invasion, Ukrainian counteroffensives reclaimed substantial territories,
dealing humiliating defeats to Russian forces. As the Russian military faced
loss of face, the Wagner Group, a battle-hardened mercenary outfit from
deployments in Syria and various African nations, took charge of the fight for
Bakhmut in late 2022.
Consequently, the Russian offensive in
Bakhmut has become synonymous with the Wagner Group, and its assertive leader,
Yevgeny Prigozhin, has publicly criticized senior Russian military leaders for
failing to supply his forces with sufficient ammunition. A victory for Russia
in Bakhmut would also elevate Prigozhin's standing within the Kremlin.
Speaking at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in
Hiroshima, Japan, on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated
that the city has been "completely destroyed," implying that a
potential defeat would be portrayed by Kyiv as a Pyrrhic victory for Russia.
Losing the city could deal a blow to
Ukraine's morale after months of bitter fighting. The exact number of
casualties on both sides remains unknown, but Moscow and Kyiv have both claimed
to have inflicted hundreds of deaths in a single day.
This setback would occur as Ukraine prepares
to launch a highly anticipated counteroffensive, potentially raising concerns
among its allies. In March, Zelenskyy warned that if Bakhmut fell, it could
enable Russia to gain international support for a deal that would force Ukraine
to accept unacceptable compromises.
The fall of the city could provide a
significant morale boost for Russia, which has been in dire need of its first
major victory in over 10 months. Reports from the war's front lines have mostly
reflected Ukrainian advancements in some areas and a stalemate in others since
the latter half of 2022. While Russia has launched several waves of drone and
missile strikes at Ukrainian cities, it has failed to achieve significant
territorial gains.
In his statement, Putin congratulated both
the Wagner private army and regular Russian forces, indicating his eagerness to
bring closure to this arduous and resource-draining chapter in Russia's
attempts to capture the Donbas region.
Strategically, a victory in Bakhmut could
open up a path to the west, potentially reaching Kramatorsk, a city that had
approximately 150,000 inhabitants before the war. However, Ukraine has heavily
fortified the areas surrounding the city of Bakhmut, making further advances challenging
for the Russian forces.
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