Russia has massed massive forces in the direction of Bakhmut, including artillery, air force and even attack helicopters. Russian troops began entering Bakhmut, the Donbas city that was most heavily defended by Ukrainian forces due to its strategic geographic location and tactical advantage. Bakhmut is one of the largest transport hubs in Donbass. Roads diverge from the city to Gorlovka, Lisitsansk, Slavyansk and Konstantinovka. Whoever controls Bahmut controls the whole of Εastern Donbass.
The Donetsk direction is the most successful for the attack of Russian troops at the moment. In other directions, the Russian army has long switched to defensive tactics, repelling Ukrainian attacks. And an attack on the Donetsk People’s Republic is necessary in order to fulfill the constitutional duty, to really establish Russian power within the borders of the former Donetsk region.
Now more than 60% of the territory of the former Donetsk region is under the control of Russian troops. However, several large cities are still targeted by the Russians, such as Kramatorsk (more than 160,000 inhabitants), Slavyansk (120,000 inhabitants), Konstantinovka (more than 70,000 inhabitants), Druzhkovka (60,000 inhabitants) and a a series of other, smaller ones.
The closest the Russians are to taking is Bakhmut of 80,000, also known as Artemovsk, which has been fiercely fought for for several months. According to information, operations in the area have not been undertaken by the regular army of the Russian Federation, but by the private military company (PMC) Wagner.
Since the beginning of October, Russian troops have already occupied most of the rural settlements of Bakhmut, which is not inferior to Severodonietsk-Lisitsansk in terms of industrial zones.
Russian troops carried out successful operations in several villages of the Bakhmut region, including Majorka, Nikolaevka, Sporeni, and even in Ozarianovka, 15 kilometers from the regional center.
Russian troops chose a new tactic: a methodical advance along the entire line of contact from Liman to Donetsk with the return of control to small settlements.
The slow advance of Russian troops, according to ISW experts, is explained by the fact that part of the ready forces had to be transferred to protect the borders of the Zaporizhia and Kherson regions. It is estimated that the arrival of conscripts to the front will quickly stabilize the situation and accelerate the offensive in Donbas, including Bakhmut.
The capture of Bakhmut is the most important military objective for Russia. This will allow to solve many tactical and strategic tasks at the same time. Specifically:
1. The first is to strengthen the far defensive lines of the settlement of Severodonetsk-Lisitsansk.
2. The second is to create a springboard for a further push towards Kramatorsk and Slavyansk.
3. The third task is to create a springboard for the return of Krasny Liman and nearby villages, which were captured by Ukrainians on October 1.
The ground operation at Bahamut is accompanied by strong artillery support. Moreover, Russian artillery still outnumbers Ukrainian artillery in this sector of the front many times over. Ammunition is continuously supplied, as all supply lines to the units surrounding Bakhmut come from Donetsk territory, which was recaptured in 2014.
In addition, the attack on Bakhmut coincides with the strengthening of defense lines on the border of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, between Svyatovo and Kremenaya, where supply lines are threatened by Ukrainian troops who have seized Liman.
Without the capture of Bakhmut, it will be impossible to develop successes in the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk direction. It is a priority for Russia, because official Kyiv considers Kramatorsk the capital of the Donetsk Republic, while the headquarters of the “anti-terrorist” operation against the people of Donbas was located there. In addition, Kramatorsk also has an important symbolic meaning: in 2014, after fierce fighting, the city had to surrender to Ukrainian troops.
The city is about to fall. Russia has gathered huge forces in the direction of Bahmut. These include not only artillery, but also aviation and even attack helicopters. Attacks on Ukrainian positions in Bakhmut do not stop day or night.
Moreover, the casualties of the fierce clashes among the civilian population are minimal: most of the inhabitants have long since left Bahamut, which was not far from the contact line. They remain mainly elderly people who find it difficult to leave.
