Defenders of Ukraine’s city of Bakhmut are keeping up the pressure even though Russian forces declared victory there after the longest, deadliest battle of the war so far. The ongoing defense…
By MSTYSLAV CHERNOV and JAMEY KEATEN
Russian forces declared victory in the eastern city last month after the longest, deadliest battle since their full-scale invasion of Ukraine began 15 months ago. But Ukrainian defenders like Shiryaev aren’t retreating. Instead, they are keeping up the pressure and continuing the fight from positions on the western fringes of Bakhmut.
For Ukrainian forces, recent work has been opportunistic — trying to wrest small gains from the enemy and taking strategic positions, notably from two flanks on the northwest and southwest, where the Ukrainian 3rd Separate Assault Brigade has been active, officials said. But the battle for the city could still have a lingering impact. Moscow has made the most of its capture, epitomized by triumphalism in Russian media. Any slippage of Russia’s grip would be a political embarrassment for President Vladimir Putin.
A Western official who spoke on condition of anonymity said Russian airborne forces are heavily involved in replacing the departing Wagner troops — a step that is “likely to antagonize” the airborne leadership, who see the duty as a further erosion of their “previously elite status” in the military.
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Ukraine keeps up pressure following Russian declaration of victory in BakhmutDefenders of Ukraine's city of Bakhmut are keeping up the pressure even though Russian forces declared victory there after the longest, deadliest battle of the war so far. The ongoing defense gives commanders in Moscow another thing to think about ahead of an anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive. Ukraine's deputy defense minister said artillery shelling continues at levels similar to those at the height of the nine-month fight over the city. She says the battle is evolving into a new phase. Ukrainian defenders still control the western fringes of Bakhmut. From the Kremlin’s perspective, the area around the city is part of the more than 1,000-kilometer (621-mile) front line that the Russian military must hold.
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