"Wagner" needs help - battle for Bachmut now before "tipping point"?

Created: 12/30/2022 11:39 am

By: Caroline Schäfer

The battles around Bachmut come to a head.

Military analysts expect a turning point.

The Russian offensive is said to be on the brink.

Bachmut – Heavy fighting is still going on at the front in the Ukraine war.

Bakhmut in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk has also been heavily contested for months.

The Battle of Bakhmut is of great importance for Russia.

Now the Russian offensive could reach its climax there, according to the US Institute For The Study Of War (ISW).

There are several indications for this.

Reports showed that Russian forces around the frontline town are no longer operating as "tactical company and battalion groups, but are instead attacking in smaller groups of 10 to 15 soldiers," according to an ISW ​​report on Wednesday (December 28).

Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine has been contested for months.

Now the battle for the frontline town is about to reach a turning point.

© Nicolas Cleuet/imago

News about the Ukraine war: the battle for Bakhmut is on the brink

According to military analysts, however, this does not mean that Russia will no longer carry out further attacks.

Rather, the climax of the Battle of Bachmut is understood as a tipping point at which troops are no longer able to continue their operations and have to “take a defensive stance or take an operational break,” wrote the ISW.

According to him, the Russian army could continue to carry out attacks around Bakhmut.

However, significant successes are “very unlikely”.

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The fact that a turning point is imminent in the embattled Bakhmut also shows that Ukrainian officials can visit the front unhindered, the ISW experts said.

For example, from Tuesday (December 27) to Wednesday, the head of the Ukrainian secret service (GUR), Kyrylo Budanov, visited the city and got to within 600 meters of the frontline positions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also visited Bakhmut on December 20.

Ukraine War: Wagner Group needs reinforcements

At the same time, the Wagner group operating around Bachmut needs support in view of high losses and a lack of equipment.

In a video, the fighters make their displeasure with the Russian military leadership public.

According to ISW, Russian Airborne Forces (VDV) are now supporting the mercenary force.

The group had previously repeatedly emphasized that it was solely responsible for the city.

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The counter-offensive by the Ukrainian defenders is putting Russia under increasing pressure in the area.

According to the Ukrainian General Staff, Russian attacks have repeatedly been repelled.

According to Serhiy Hajdaj, governor of occupied Luhansk, thousands of Russian soldiers have already died in the battle for Bakhmut.

According to him, the capture of the frontline city is considered more of a "symbolic" than a strategic mission for Russia.

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