Bakhmut: The deputy mayor says there are street fights, but Russia is not in charge.

Although there is combat between Russian and Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut, the eastern city is not under Russian control, according to the deputy mayor.

The remaining 4,000 citizens, according to Oleksandr Marchenko, are housed in shelters without access to water, power, or gas.

The city is “nearly demolished,” according to Mr. Marchenko, who said that “not a single building” has been left standing.

While Russia strives to assume control, Bakhmut has witnessed months of conflict.

Street clashes and fighting in the vicinity of the city, according to Mr. Marchenko.

A Russian victory on the battlefield in recent months would be taking the city. Yet, the city’s strategic importance has come under scrutiny.

According to some observers, any Russian victory might be pyrrhic, meaning it wasn’t worth the price.

Bakhmut, which had a pre-war population of about 75,000, has seen thousands of Russian soldiers die while attempting to capture it. Russia has reportedly lost seven times as many soldiers as Ukraine, according to Ukrainian commanders.

Russian gains in the northern suburbs, according to UK military intelligence, have left the Ukraine-controlled areas open to attacks from three directions.

Mr. Marchenko asserted that the Russians meant to commit “genocide of the Ukrainian people” and had “no objective” of saving the city.

According to Mr. Marchenko, the city is currently blocked off due to a lack of communication, the bridges have been damaged, and the Russians are employing a parched land strategy.

Although Bakhmut’s downfall has long been foretold, it hasn’t occurred in more than six months. So, any information on a prospective departure by Ukraine should be viewed with suspicion.

Without unbiased sources, it can be difficult to understand what is happening. Both parties have more motive to mislead their adversary than to supply truthful information.

But, despite the terrible casualties being inflicted on Russian forces, it may be that Ukrainian commanders are starting to determine that the cost of defending Bakhmut – in terms of blood and cash – is now too great.

If so, they may desire what Western experts refer to as “a controlled combat withdrawal” in order to safeguard the surviving Ukrainian soldiers and allow for their redeployment.

Nonetheless, any removal might be difficult and take some time.

Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, stated earlier this week that the situation in the region was growing “more and more difficult,” despite the fact that the Ukrainian military claimed to have thwarted multiple attacks since Friday.

I think we shouldn’t cede even a small portion of our territory to the adversary, Mr. Marchenko stated. “We should safeguard our land, our people, and the businesses that are on this land,” the speaker said.

According to Mr. Marchenko, the city was “nearly decimated,” with bridges damaged and lines of communication cut off.

He referred to two cities in the east of Ukraine presently under Russian control: Mariupol and Popasna, saying that they wanted to destroy Bakhmut.

In the beginning of the invasion, the Russian troops surrounded the port city of Mariupol in the south-east and captured control after three months of artillery bombardment that claimed hundreds of lives.

Mariupol hospital demolished on March 9, 2022
SOURCE OF IMAGE: REUTERS
picture caption
In March 2022, a Russian airstrike in Mariupol struck a maternity and children’s hospital.
A protracted conflict with Ukrainian forces resulted in Russia claiming the Donbass town of Soledar in January, which is around 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from Bakhmut.

According to reports, Soledar had also been reduced to a wasteland of destroyed structures and debris by the time the Ukrainian army withdrew.

President Zelensky emphasized the necessity for artillery and shells to “stop Russia” on Friday.

High-precision Himars artillery rockets and howitzers were part of the most recent shipment, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, “which Ukraine is employing so well”.