Russian forces launched relentless attacks on Bakhmut today, Wednesday, in an effort to encircle the small city located in eastern Ukraine and declare their first significant victory in over six months after some of the bloodiest battles of the war. Reuters was able to reach Bakhmut from the west on Monday, proving that the city has not yet been besieged, despite pressure from Russian forces to close the last remaining routes into the area from the north and south. Flames and smoke rose into the sky from burning buildings, and the sound of gunfire and explosions echoed above. Ukrainian armored vehicles patrolled streets that were now home only to stray dogs amid the mud and debris.
Thousands of residents remain inside the devastated city, which had a population of about 70,000 before the war. A middle-aged man wearing a coat and wool hat on the steps of his building said, "It's really scary." He added, "I can hardly move my legs from the shock of the situation... I will stay here as long as my home remains intact and I am unharmed." In the town of Chasiv Yar to the west, a fire broke out in a grocery store.
A 25-year-old army medic heading to the front remarked, "We will not give up Bakhmut. We will hold it until the end... Glory to Ukraine, death to the enemies." The Ukrainian army stated in a press briefing this morning that the enemy continues to "advance towards Bakhmut. They do not stop assaulting the city."
Difficult Situation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized in a video speech late last night that the battle for Bakhmut is "the toughest," but defending it is essential. He added, "Russia, in general, does not care about human lives and sends waves of attacks on our positions; the intensity of the fighting is increasing."
The Russian state media agency released a video that it claimed showed Russian Su-25 fighter jets flying over Bakhmut. In the footage, a man identified as a fighter from the Wagner Group said, "We are happy they are in our hands," adding that the planes helped them "psychologically." Military analyst Oleh Zhdanov noted that Russian forces managed to achieve a breakthrough between the villages of Berkhivka and Yahidne north of Bakhmut, stating, "This represents a breach in the northern front of Bakhmut... it is a clear threat to us."
The area surrounding Bakhmut is one of the fronts where Russia has made significant gains during a winter offensive described by both sides as the bloodiest fighting in the war. After suffering heavy losses on the ground in the second half of 2022, Russian forces received reinforcements with the arrival of hundreds of thousands of reserve soldiers called up since September. Kyiv has held on to the defense over the past three months, hoping the fighting would exhaust the attacking Russian forces before Ukraine launches a counter-offensive this year with new weapons, including tanks promised by the West.
The Wagner Group is leading the fighting near Bakhmut and has recruited tens of thousands of convicts from prisons, sending them to the front lines. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group, accused top commanders of the Russian regular army of treason for not providing his men with the necessary supplies, the largest indication of an internal dispute in Moscow.
Wagner appeared to receive a show of support from the Kremlin today when the Russian State Duma discussed plans to expand oversight laws to include a 15-year prison sentence for those who defame the "volunteer formations" fighting in the war. Vyacheslav Volodin, the Chairman of the Duma, wrote on social media, "This initiative is to protect all those risking their lives today to ensure the security of the country and our citizens." He added, "The punishment for offenders will be severe."
Ukrainians and Russians generally consider March 1 to be the first day of spring. The snow has already melted on the front, bringing the so-called Siberian spring, a season of black mud notorious in military history for overcoming armies that previously attempted to launch offensives in parts of Ukraine and western Russia. Ukrainians boast that the warmer weather proved that Russia failed to force them into submission by freezing, launching missile and drone attacks on energy infrastructure across the country since October.
Ukrainian National Security Secretary Oleksiy Danilov tweeted: "Well... did you manage to freeze us? Happy first day of Ukrainian spring to you!"
The war loomed over a meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of Twenty major economies in New Delhi, which will be attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. An Indian Foreign Ministry official stated that the hosting nation did not want the Ukrainian issue to dominate the event, although it will be at the top of the agenda. Western nations want the meeting to condemn the war, while a senior EU official indicated that Brussels would not support the statement from the meeting unless it included such condemnation.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated Moscow's position yesterday, stating that it is open to peace negotiations, but Ukraine and its Western allies must accept Russia's annexation of Ukrainian territories. Ukraine maintains that peace can only be achieved if Russia withdraws from all of its territory.