Russia is likely to claim the entire city this weekend
Soldier at the Battle of Bakhmut, November 2022. Photo: Viktor Borinets / Ministry of Defense, Ukraine
The entire Bakhmut Citadel area has fallen to the Russians, and the Children’s Hospital area also has been taken.
The last part of the city remaining uncaptured is a small corner close to the Ukrainian flank operation facing Ivanjske. This area straddles an important roadway.
At this stage I don’t see much point for the Ukrainians continuing other than to evacuate any troops remaining.
There is no information yet on casualties.
Most of the city is utterly destroyed.
Probably the Russians will claim the entire city this weekend.
Meanwhile Ukraine is keeping up its flank operations (north and south of Bakhmut) and the Russian army so far is not doing much about these operations. It appears the Russians now see them as diversionary.
Ukrainian propaganda is saluting the successes on the flanks and has nothing to say at all about what has happened in the city proper. This is not surprising, as they expect their line to be broadcast to the world, hiding what is really happening.
The impact on Zelensky is yet to come. He is heading out to attend the G-7 in Japan, probably to avoid repercussions at home. The official reason for his trip, to seek armaments, seems a fool’s errand.
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The Russian Armed Forces are pushing west through the Donbas region of Ukraine. Their advance has consistently been called slow, but this is no longer true. In October and November, Russia captured over 1,500 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory. The pace has continued in December, and Russia is advancing on as many as eight sections of the front. They are overwhelming heavily fortified Ukrainian cities and defenses, jeopardizing Ukraine’s ability to supply its troops by rail or road. They are now only one mile from Pokrovsk, a key logistical hub. Beyond Pokrovsk, the Russian Armed Forces may find mostly undefended fields.
