Ukraine faces a difficult choice. How far should her army go in the defense of Bakhmut at a time when Kyiv is preparing for a new counteroffensive in other sectors of the front, saving weapons, ammunition and experienced fighters.

The Washington Post writes about this, recalling that over the past few days, Russia has intensified fighting in the city area.. Violent fighting continues, highlighting the high price to be paid for them.. Russian mercenaries and prisoners who joined the Wagner group advanced in the city of Soledar, thus trying to approach Bakhmut, which the Russian forces failed to capture for many months, despite superior firepower and willingness to sacrifice their soldiers.

“When we kill five out of ten of their soldiers at once, they make up for the loss again to ten in a few hours.. Although they attack in small groups, losses are constantly replenished, which allows them to storm positions very often.. Sometimes it happens 5-7 times a day,” said Andriy Krishchenko, deputy commander of the National Guard battalion of Ukraine..

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“The Ukrainian military must now decide how much more manpower, ammunition and weapons can be spent on continuing the defense of Bakhmut, a city that many analysts consider not very strategically important, but which has also become a political symbol for both sides,” writes the Washington Post, adding, that Kyiv needs to make this decision just when it is waiting for the promised armored vehicles from the United States, France and Germany, preparing to launch a new counteroffensive in the coming months.

The success of such an operation will be critical for President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who needs to demonstrate continued momentum on the battlefield, as well as internal and external support for the Ukrainian military effort after 11 months of standoff..

“They need units that are not involved in combat, are well-supplied and trained for such an offensive.. That is why Bakhmut is a battle that, in my opinion, has so far been in favor of Ukraine. But now there is the question of how much the cost of the battle for Bakhmut could damage the overall Ukrainian strategy in winter and spring, ”said Michael Kofman, a CNA military analyst..

The Washington Post recalls that in mid-2022, the owner of the Wagner military complex, Yevgeny Prigozhin, decided that with the help of Bakhmut he could prove to the Kremlin the extraordinary combat capability of his private army of mercenaries, in contrast to the constantly retreating Russian regular army.. Prigozhin wants to show that his mercenaries can take the initiative and seize new territories. Many military analysts believe this is a strategic mistake.. Because Russia suffers terrible losses on this sector of the front, spending manpower, ammunition and weapons to capture a city with little strategic value, if you look at the war as a whole from a broader point of view..

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Ukraine is also under pressure. Since she needs to launch a new counter-offensive in the coming months, as well as repel any new Russian campaigns based on the forces accumulated during the mobilization. And now the grueling battle for Bakhmut is testing Ukrainian reserves of ammunition and trained soldiers..

Mason Clarke, senior Russia analyst at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), said he would be surprised if the Ukrainian military commanders allowed their forces in Bakhmut to experience such a level of attrition that it would affect their ability to launch a counteroffensive elsewhere.. He stressed that the Ukrainian commanders have so far demonstrated a good quality of operational planning.. An unnamed U.S. official told the Washington Post that Ukraine recognizes the need to conserve forces for further counteroffensives..

“They are still fighting, but they don’t use the same amount of resources as at the beginning. Because they, too, are concerned about sustainability here,” the U.S. official said, adding that the Ukrainian army is “distributing its forces appropriately.”.

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Also, the interlocutor of the publication warned that Bakhmut or Soledar should not be considered strategically unimportant.. Local salt and other mines have economic value. In addition, Russia can use these mines and tunnels to hide equipment and ammunition from Ukrainian missile strikes.. Moscow also gives these cities a special weight.

“To a certain extent, Bakhmut is important to Ukraine because he is very important to the Russians,” the U.S. official said, adding that the outcome of the fighting in the city is unlikely to undermine Ukrainian defenses or change the course of the war as a whole..