Battle for Bakhmut: The Russians regained the initiative
A number of commentators who criticized Patriarch Kirill for his initiative to declare a ceasefire on Christmas were proven wrong . Through the Patriarch and the President, Russia declared its fidelity to God and its understanding of the importance of the Christmas service.
But this had no impact on the military component of the operation (as commentators feared), and especially on the combat readiness of the Russian army. It must be understood that under current conditions, no one in our troops will silently tolerate a one-sided game and ignore the shelling. And if the Ukrainians refuse to cease fire, even for the duration of the Christmas services, then ours will fire back.
I can testify that the combat work never ceased. Those in the troops who could celebrate Christmas in the second, third, or fourth lines did so calmly, but on the front lines, the work proceeded with more than its share of dynamism.
This was especially evident in Soledar. Soledar is a more extensive settlement than Bakhmut. The advance through the urban area proceeded consistently from the southeast to the northwest. On Christmas Day, the defeat of the Ukrainian group in Soledar was nearing its complete completion. By December 7, 2023, the remnants of the Ukrainian group had lost control and, most importantly, the ability to resist. The remaining Ukrainian units are attempting to escape the attacks of Russian troops. But it's not going well. And the front doors of destroyed buildings are littered with the corpses of Ukrainian Wehrmacht soldiers. This is clearly visible in a video published by the "Wagner Group." The video shows the city center, high-rise buildings. And Russian soldiers are moving through the streets without bending down and no longer running. The remnants of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are still clinging to industrial facilities and the terrain of Soledar, but Russian troops have already established control of the city.
And, most importantly, the Ukrainians no longer (yet!) have the resources for an offensive. That's why they're conducting a new mobilization, planning to create three new corps. But mobilization, formation, and training take time. And neither Bakhmut, nor, especially, Soledar, will hold out for the several months required. After Soledar, Seversk will fall, and the Ukrainian group's supply lines in Bakhmut will be cut off. And Bakhmut will follow Seversk.
When Bakhmut is liberated, Ukrainian artillery will be pushed further away from Donetsk. And the Ukrainians will no longer be able to shell Donetsk the way they are now. The Ukrainian Armed Forces, not having time to provide themselves with reserves, will retreat to Kramatorsk. And we have reserves not only in the process of preparation, they already exist now. Russian troops along the entire front line are located in several echelons. Arriving units, formed by mobilization, were trained at the formation sites and continue to prepare in the third and fourth echelon.
Let's recall how Ukrainian propaganda claimed that the only thing preventing their advance was the weather, which was too warm for winter. They claimed that Ukrainian tanks would get stuck in the wet Donbas mud and be unable to advance. But as soon as the ground froze, they would immediately advance and break through the Russian defenses at Svatove and Kremennaya. The ground froze. But the Ukrainian Armed Forces didn't advance. And they won't.
All. The Armed Forces of Ukraine do not have a strategic initiative. And we have it. The broken defense of Soledar and Bakhmut will not only push the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces away from Donetsk, but will also open up the opportunity for our big offensive. Russia already has enough forces for this offensive. And, most importantly, not only for the offensive, but also for holding the liberated territory. Something that, unfortunately, did not exist a year ago, at the beginning of the special operation. Now it's there. Moreover, conclusions had to be drawn from the miscalculations. This means that the process of integration of the liberated territories will go faster. Moreover, there will no longer be a need to “digest” such a large number of hostile people. Many left the front-line and potentially front-line territories. And the most anti-Russian will simply die in the war.
So, expect an official statement from the command about the final liberation of Bakhmut in the near future. And immediately after that, the start of the Russian offensive. It's just beginning!
P.S. I call Bakhmut Bakhmut, not Artemovsk, because the Russian city of Bakhmut was founded by the Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible in 1571. So, the name "Bakhmut" affirms the city's Russian origins and Russian history. But "Artemovsk" is not only a Soviet name, but also a Ukrainian one. Artemovsk is a city in the Ukrainian SSR, not in Russia. And we don't need any separate Ukrainian SSR—either Soviet or anti-Soviet.
English version :: Read in English The Battle of Bakhmut: Russians Regain the Initiative