Russian forces are employing scorched earth tactics in their attempt to capture the devastated city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, using air strikes and artillery fire to destroy any buildings and positions occupied by troops. defense Ukraine occupied, the commander of the Ukrainian ground forces said on Monday.
Ukrainian forces are under heavy pressure in the city, where most of it remains in ruins, as fires sweep through buildings and Soldiers fight in fierce, block-by-block battle. In recent weeks, Russia has entered the villages north and south of Bakhmut and fought fierce battles in the heart of the city. But after visiting one of the “hottest areas of the frontline” in Bakhmut, Ukraine’s commander, General Oleksandr Syrsky, said that despite the difficult situation for Kyiv’s forces, it was still within reach. control.
“The enemy has turned to the so-called scorching Syria tactic,” he said, according to a statement from the Ukrainian military’s media center, referring to Russia’s intervention in the country’s civil war. “They are destroying buildings and positions with air strikes and artillery fire. The defense of Bakhmut continues. The situation is very difficult, but under control,” he said. The statement said the commander visited the city on Sunday.
Russia has a dominant military force in Syria since 2015when President Vladimir V. Putin sent several thousand Russian troops and planes into the country, destroyed towns and cities with airstrikes, and turned the tide of the Syrian civil war in favor of the Assad regime .
The battle for Bakhmut was one of Russia’s longest and most dangerous wars in Ukraine. Russia’s assault on the city in the Donetsk region began last summer and has since taken on a symbolic meaning for both sides far beyond immediate strategic value. Both sides have dumped troops and suffered a high number of casualties, although military experts say Russian casualties are higher than those of Ukraine.
General Syrsky said that the fighting had exhausted the group of Russian mercenaries, Wagner, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin. As a result, Russian military commanders are currently deploying a large number of special forces and air attack units in the fight for Bakhmut, he said. The claims have not been independently verified.
A cache of leaked Pentagon documents circulating online describes the Russian military as exhausted, short of manpower and equipment, and facing an impasse. But Wagner – known for his skill on the battlefield, an army of former prisoners and the killing of at least one traitor with a sledgehammer – remained a powerful force, the documents said.
Signs of defeat for Ukrainian forces indicate that much of Bakhmut has been lost. Last week, Wagner forces raised their flags over the ruins of City Hall.
As Russian forces slowly entered the outskirts of Bakhmut, Ukrainian military officials said their forces were trying to fend off Russian attempts to capture or damage two main roads of access, the highway T504 and the route is called 506.
Six weeks after the start of the Ukrainian operation to fortify supply lines outside Bakhmut and secure the roads, Ukrainian military officials say they have stoppedat least for the moment, a Russian attempt to cut those roads and encircle the city.
According to leaked documents, the Ukrainian commanders decided to strengthen the defenses of the roads rather than withdraw. The Ukrainian military has deployed many soldiers to fight for Bakhmut which they hope will keep in reserve for a counterattack predicted in the coming weeks or monthsand its forces suffered heavy casualties.
