01-09-2023, 11:55 AM
What I mean is that I really don't see the shift in strategy that The NY Times does. This looks like a similar strategy as Ukranians used in Severodonetsk/Lyshyshank, which is to force the Russians to devote a ton of resources and suffer a high casualty rate to take a strategically dubious position, but have a plan in place to eventually pull out once the position becomes untenable. My guess is that Ukranians will withdraw from Bakhmut in a matter of weeks. Bakhmut is only important inasmuch as it serves as a good meat grinder. Recall that the Ukrainian breakthrough in Kharkiv happened after the Russians took Severodonetsk and Lysyshank. Russians were so focused on taking the city come hell or high water that they sent undertrained and underequipped troops to hold Kharkiv oblast (also in protecting Kherson from the impending Ukranian counter-offensive).
Bakhmut looks similar to me, and one could see Ukraine exhausting Russia in Bakhmut and eventually withdrawing, to redirect troops to a counter-offensive in either Lushank or Zaporizija.
BC
Bakhmut looks similar to me, and one could see Ukraine exhausting Russia in Bakhmut and eventually withdrawing, to redirect troops to a counter-offensive in either Lushank or Zaporizija.
BC