Until Bakhmut (the Soviet name of Artemovsk (Bakhmut) ) is under the fire control of the Russian forces, units of PMC “Wagner” are already fighting almost in the center of the city. On this subject informed RIA Novosti adviser to acting head of DPR Denis Pushilin Igor Kimakovsky.
According to Kimakovsky, it is too early to speak of an operational encirclement of the city, but all the roads are under the control of fire from the Russian forces.
He also noted that the Ukrainian army can move its forces and assets along the Chasov Yar-Artemovsk (Bakhmut) road. “Ukrainian troops are building country roads to deliver supplies, trying to hold on to the city. Although they suffer very heavy losses,” Pushilin’s adviser added.
The agency also recalled that on February 25, the platoon commander of the Wagner group said that the fighters had 1,740 meters to get to the center of Artemovsk (Bakhmut) .
The battles for Bakhmut began in August 2022, and in October this direction became the hottest point of the conflict. As RTVI wrote, the city plays a key role in supplying the Ukrainian army and is an important transport hub.
On February 20, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian Armed Forces had no intention of guarding Bakhmut “at any cost” and that it was “not a particularly big city”. In early February, Bloomberg, citing “US and European officials”, wrote that Ukraine may soon have to withdraw its troops from Bakhmut, giving Russia a symbolic victory. The agency’s interlocutors believe that the withdrawal of the Ukrainian armed forces from the city will not have a serious strategic impact on the course of the conflict, since the Ukrainian troops are likely to place the line of defense “very close”. In late January, CNN, citing sources, reported that Western officials were urging Ukraine to abandon “fierce battles” for Bakhmut and instead prepare for a counteroffensive in the south of the country.
