Bachmut battlefield
This battle began in May, began to heat up in August, and has escalated sharply in the past two weeks. However, for the nearly 7 months of the battle, the front line moved very slowly, and both were fighting for a few meters of land.
Ukrainian soldiers described the recent battles around Bachmut, which is more intense than any war they have experienced since February, especially the artillery fire. Zelensky President said in his speech on Wednesday night, "There are very fierce battles there, and every meter is very important. It is the most difficult area. We must not only defend the east, but also the entire country."
Verdun battlefield
In the Soviet period, Bachmut was called Artemivsk to commemorate Fedor Sergeyev, a close friend of Stalin . It was not until 2016 that the city restored its original name. Bachmut has encountered many wars in history. Nazi Germany occupied it in World War II , and the Red Army then recaptured it. In 2014, the separatists of Donetsk also briefly occupied the city.
As the war continues, the city experiences unprecedented death and destruction, and Ukrainian soldiers say it is now a ghost town, and the city is being razed to the ground like Ijium and Mariupol .
This place was once famous for its salt industry and winemaking, with a population of more than 70,000. However, after six months of bombing, most of the area has been turned into ruins, with less than 7,000 remaining residents. They mainly rely on humanitarian assistance to for their living, without any power, water, gas or heating.
The once bustling shopping mall is now transformed into a fortress, with metal hedgehogs and other anti-tank roadblocks blocking everything. The only function of the road is to send wounded to medical sites, with tanks and other military vehicles driving on the broken roads, passing through the messy and collapsed ruins.
British reporter Financial Times visited Bachmut on Monday, the gunfire on both sides of the front line was extremely dense, and the interval between the two shellings rarely exceeded 5 seconds. The earth was trembling constantly, and the clear winter day became hazy due to the thick smoke. Russia's drone buzzed above his head, obviously looking for a target.
Kiev and Moscow have been tight-lipped against casualties near Bachmut. Although the real numbers cannot be verified, it is obvious that both sides have suffered heavy losses. Both sides report killing dozens or even hundreds of soldiers on the other side every day.
Ukrainian military official Vasilenko said that Russian troops have entered the eastern suburbs of the city in recent days. But she also said that the resistance of the Ukrainian army and the severe cold that favors the troops will make it difficult for the Russians to move forward. "The ground is cold and hard. Even if they occupy new positions, it will be difficult for them to dig new trenches to avoid our counterattacks, and they have to retreat."
Vasilenko said that the elite Ukrainian troops such as the 58th Moto and the 93rd Machine Infantry Brigade were the first to be hit, but in the past two weeks, special forces, territorial defense forces and international legions from Khlsun and other places have all gone to reinforce.
Russia is doing the same thing, transferring troops from Kharkov and Khlson regions to Bachmut. The Wagner Group, founded by Putin's close ally Evgeny Prigo, is leading the offensive of Bachmut, who recruits soldiers from prisons in remote areas of Russia.
Russia's autumn mobilization also caused more casualties. Putin said on Wednesday that 150,000 mobilized Russian troops have been stationed in Ukraine, half of which have participated in actual combat.
Some Ukrainian soldiers said that Russia's tactics in Bachmut were the same as those in Luhansk earlier this year, and they continued to shell out, weakening the Ukrainian army while destroying buildings, making them unable to defend.
while others say that these attacks have no strategic or military value other than symbolic meaning.
ISW said Putin's actions around Bachmut are not good for Russia and help Ukraine seize and maintain military initiative in other regions.
Polish military expert Conrad Muzka said that Russian troops may try to cut off the traffic line between Bachmut and Slaviyansk , a town located 25 kilometers west of Bachmut.
Since week, signs of Russia's attempt to surround Bachmut have been very obvious, and they launched an attack on the town of Soledal, north of Bachmut. Last weekend, Russian troops made progress in the town of Opytne in the south of the city; then there was the village of Ivanivske, which is located on the main road leading to the city.
But Vasilenko and Kostiyantin both believe that Bachmut will be under Kiev's control all winter.
Ukrainian soldiers are making fire to keep warm
