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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Russia puzzles with ‘costly' fight for small city of Bakhmut, Ukraine |
| 2022-12-04 |
| [NYPost] The Russian military is pouring its resources into capturing the small city of Bakhmut, puzzling intelligence analysts who say the city in Eastern Ukraine is of little strategic importance. Russian troops are attempting to encircle the city in the Donetsk region, one of four regions Russia has claimed as its own. But Bakhmut, which had just about 70,000 residents before the war, would offer little advantage, according to the UK Ministry of Defense. "Russia has prioritized Bakhmut as its main offensive effort since early August 2022," the ministry said Saturday in its daily intelligence update. "The capture of the town would have limited operational value." The update said taking Bakhmut would be primarily a "symbolic, political objective" for the Kremlin, which has seen massive losses on the battlefield in the past few months, including November’s retreat from the key city of Kherson, which it had held since the early days of the war. "The capture of the town would have limited operational value although it would potentially allow Russia to threaten the larger urban areas of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk," the Defense Ministry said of Bakhut. "However, the campaign has been disproportionately costly relative to these possible gains." The effort has also decimated the city, which has historic importance to Ukraine. A video posted online by an adviser to Ukraine’s internal ministry showed aerial shots block after block of bombed-out homes, apartment buildings, and businesses. "What was once people’s homes are now just empty shells," said the adviser, Anton Gerashchenko. "Russian world destroyed the worlds of many Ukrainian people." Separately, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ridiculed Russia for burning through its resources, human and military, in the fight. "Kremlin eliminates thousands of its conscripted, prisoners, mercenaries and military near the city that has no strategic importance," the president’s adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak wrote. "All to prove themselves: we can still do something! No, you cannot. Forget about Bakhmut." Earlier this week, a senior U.S. defense official highlighted the historical importance of Bakhmut for Ukraine during a briefing with the Department of Defense, pointing to World War II atrocities that occurred in the town. |
| Posted by:Frank G |
| #8 When will we stop believing self described "experts"? |
| Posted by: AlanC 2022-12-04 16:55 |
| #7 ^ Ditto that. Well put. |
| Posted by: Dale 2022-12-04 15:03 |
| #6 ...puzzling intelligence analysts who say the city in Eastern Ukraine is of little strategic importance. It does have importance. The Donetsk region is highly built up and has been difficult to take, even in WWII for the Germans and Russians. Usually they go around it. Bakhmut is the last major city. Behind it is 200km of flat, open farmland that is very hard to defend all the way to the Dnipro. Kramatorsk and Slovansk are a bit to the north and Russia does want them, but if the Bakhmut lines are breached the Ukrainian defensive line in the south can flanked by tanks in open ground once the ground freezes. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2022-12-04 10:24 |
| #5 Like the Hamas? Hamas sets up posts in tunnels underneath schools and hospital, Dron, so that Israeli missiles literally have to go through the buildings full of civilians to get to them. Being under hospitals also makes it easy when they have wounded of their own in need of care. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2022-12-04 09:40 |
| #4 Wait til they go for the front nut. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2022-12-04 09:29 |
| #3 From Mercutio's link: Ukraine’s military often sets up posts directly outside humanitarian headquarters, hospitals and homes Like the Hamas? |
| Posted by: Dron66046 2022-12-04 08:39 |
| #2 Different take: |
| Posted by: Mercutio 2022-12-04 08:35 |
| #1 Oh, now suddenly, " city in Eastern Ukraine is of little strategic importance." Quite the contrary. "symbolic, political objective" Western media derangement syndrome. Ukraine has poured troops into this area knowing how its loss disrupts their ongoing efforts against Russia. So many dead in muck and mire. Too many to remove from the field dead or alive. The West continues to push against Russia when it has already lost. Simply review what they have done and you will see a hollow shell of failures. Throw money and equipment over and over expecting a different outcome each time. It seems we have the grownup hippies running things with their brains burned out from years of drug use. |
| Posted by: Dale 2022-12-04 08:30 |