{"id":2341,"date":"2022-12-10T13:00:52","date_gmt":"2022-12-10T13:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=2341"},"modified":"2023-03-23T18:36:29","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T18:36:29","slug":"russia-grinds-on-in-eastern-ukraine-bakhmut-destroyed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/analysis\/defense\/russia-grinds-on-in-eastern-ukraine-bakhmut-destroyed\/2022\/12\/10\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia grinds on in eastern Ukraine; Bakhmut ‘destroyed’"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/span><\/strong>KYIV,<\/span>Ukraine<\/span> (AP) December, 10<\/span>\u00a0\u2014<\/span> Russian<\/span> forces<\/span> have<\/span> \u201cdestroyed\u201d<\/span> the<\/span> eastern<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> city<\/span> of<\/span> Bakhmut,<\/span> President<\/span> Volodymyr<\/span> Zelenskyy<\/span> said,<\/span> while<\/span> Ukraine’s<\/span> military<\/span> on<\/span> Saturday<\/span> reported<\/span> missile,<\/span> rocket<\/span> and<\/span> air<\/span> strikes<\/span> in<\/span> multiple<\/span> parts<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> country<\/span> that<\/span> Moscow<\/span> is<\/span> trying<\/span> to<\/span> conquer<\/span> after<\/span> months<\/span> of<\/span> resistance.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> latest<\/span> battles<\/span> of<\/span> Russia’s<\/span> 9<\/span> 1\/2<\/span> month<\/span> war<\/span> in<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> have<\/span> centered<\/span> on<\/span> four<\/span> provinces<\/span> that<\/span> Russian<\/span> President<\/span> Vladimir<\/span> Putin<\/span> triumphantly<\/span> \u2014<\/span> and<\/span> illegally<\/span> \u2014<\/span> claimed<\/span> to<\/span> have<\/span> annexed<\/span> in<\/span> late<\/span> September.<\/span> The<\/span> fighting<\/span> indicates<\/span> Russia’s<\/span> struggle<\/span> to<\/span> establish<\/span> control<\/span> of<\/span> those<\/span> regions<\/span> and<\/span> Ukraine’s<\/span> persistence<\/span> to<\/span> reclaim<\/span> them.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Zelenskyy<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> situation<\/span> \u201cremains<\/span> very<\/span> difficult\u201d<\/span> in<\/span> several<\/span> frontline<\/span> cities<\/span> in<\/span> eastern<\/span> Ukraine’s<\/span> Donetsk<\/span> and<\/span> Luhansk<\/span> provinces.<\/span> Together,<\/span> the<\/span> provinces<\/span> make<\/span> up<\/span> the<\/span> Donbas,<\/span> an<\/span> expansive<\/span> industrial<\/span> region<\/span> bordering<\/span> Russia<\/span> that<\/span> Putin<\/span> identified<\/span> as<\/span> a<\/span> focus<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> war’s<\/span> outset<\/span> and<\/span> where<\/span> Moscow-backed<\/span> separatists<\/span> have<\/span> fought<\/span> since<\/span> 2014.<\/span> \u201cBakhmut,<\/span> Soledar,<\/span> Marinka,<\/span> Kreminna.<\/span> There<\/span> was<\/span> no<\/span> living<\/span> space<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> bottom<\/span> of<\/span> an<\/span> area<\/span> that<\/span> had<\/span> not<\/span> been<\/span> destroyed<\/span> by<\/span> shells<\/span> and<\/span> fires<\/span> for<\/span> a<\/span> long<\/span> time,\u201d<\/span> Zelensky<\/span> said<\/span> in<\/span> his<\/span> nightly<\/span> video<\/span> address,<\/span> citing<\/span> the<\/span> cities<\/span> he<\/span> refocused<\/span> on.<\/span> said.<\/span> “The<\/span> occupiers<\/span> actually<\/span> destroyed<\/span> Bakhmut,<\/span> another<\/span> city<\/span> in<\/span> Donbass,<\/span> which<\/span> was<\/span> burned<\/span> down<\/span> by<\/span> Russian<\/span> troops.”<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Zelensky<\/span> did<\/span> not<\/span> clarify<\/span> what<\/span> he<\/span> meant<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> word<\/span> “destroyed.”<\/span> Some<\/span> buildings<\/span> still<\/span> stand<\/span> and<\/span> residents<\/span> still<\/span> roam<\/span> the<\/span> streets<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> city.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> Armed<\/span> Forces<\/span> General<\/span> Staff<\/span> reported<\/span> rocket<\/span> attacks,<\/span> about<\/span> 20<\/span> airstrikes<\/span> and<\/span> more<\/span> than<\/span> 60<\/span> rocket<\/span> attacks<\/span> across<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> from<\/span> Friday<\/span> to<\/span> Saturday.<\/span> Spokesman<\/span> Oleksandr<\/span> Shtupun<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> most<\/span> active<\/span> fighting<\/span> took<\/span> place<\/span> in<\/span> He<\/span> Bakhmut<\/span> district,<\/span> where<\/span> more<\/span> than<\/span> 20<\/span> populated<\/span> places<\/span> were<\/span> set<\/span> on<\/span> fire.<\/span> He<\/span> said<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> forces<\/span> had<\/span> repelled<\/span> Russian<\/span> attacks<\/span> in<\/span> Donetsk<\/span> and<\/span> neighboring<\/span> Luhansk.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>A<\/span> harsh<\/span> Russian<\/span> offensive<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> east<\/span> succeeded<\/span> in<\/span> capturing<\/span> most<\/span> of<\/span> Luhansk<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> summer.<\/span> Donetsk<\/span> has<\/span> escaped<\/span> the<\/span> same<\/span> fate,<\/span> with<\/span> Russian<\/span> forces<\/span> pouring<\/span> men<\/span> and<\/span> resources<\/span> around<\/span> Bakhmut<\/span> in<\/span> recent<\/span> weeks<\/span> to<\/span> besiege<\/span> the<\/span> city,<\/span> analysts<\/span> and<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> officials<\/span> said.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Fighting<\/span> for<\/span> Bakhmut<\/span> intensified<\/span> after<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> forces<\/span> recaptured<\/span> the<\/span> southern<\/span> city<\/span> of<\/span> Kherson<\/span> about<\/span> a<\/span> month<\/span> ago,<\/span> putting<\/span> Putin’s<\/span> desire<\/span> for<\/span> tangible<\/span> gains<\/span> after<\/span> weeks<\/span> of<\/span> significant<\/span> setbacks<\/span> in<\/span> Ukraine.<\/span> was<\/span> shown.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> capture<\/span> of<\/span> Bakhmut<\/span> would<\/span> cut<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> supply<\/span> lines<\/span> and<\/span> pave<\/span> the<\/span> way<\/span> for<\/span> Russian<\/span> forces<\/span> to<\/span> advance<\/span> towards<\/span> Kramatorsk<\/span> and<\/span> Sloviansk,<\/span> the<\/span> main<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> strongholds<\/span> in<\/span> Donetsk.<\/span> Russia<\/span> has<\/span> been<\/span> bombarding<\/span> Bakhmut<\/span> with<\/span> rockets<\/span> for<\/span> more<\/span> than<\/span> half<\/span> a<\/span> year.<\/span> After<\/span> his<\/span> army<\/span> forced<\/span> the<\/span> Ukrainians<\/span> to<\/span> withdraw<\/span> from<\/span> Luhansk<\/span> in<\/span> his<\/span> July,<\/span> the<\/span> ground<\/span> attack<\/span> accelerated.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>But<\/span> some<\/span> analysts<\/span> say<\/span> they<\/span> will<\/span> relentlessly<\/span> occupy<\/span> Bakhmut<\/span> and<\/span> its<\/span> surrounding<\/span> areas,<\/span> which<\/span> have<\/span> been<\/span> under<\/span> heavy<\/span> shelling<\/span> in<\/span> recent<\/span> weeks<\/span> and<\/span> where<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> officials<\/span> reported<\/span> some<\/span> residents<\/span> were<\/span> living<\/span> in<\/span> damp<\/span> basements.<\/span> This<\/span> raises<\/span> questions<\/span> about<\/span> Russia’s<\/span> strategic<\/span> logic<\/span> that<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> War<\/span> Institute,<\/span> a<\/span> Washington<\/span> think<\/span> tank,<\/span> said,<\/span> \u201cThe<\/span> brutal,<\/span> attrition-based,<\/span> attrition-based<\/span> cost<\/span> of<\/span> his<\/span> six<\/span> months<\/span> of<\/span> fighting<\/span> for<\/span> #Bakhmut<\/span> is<\/span> that<\/span> the<\/span> #Russians<\/span> will<\/span> take<\/span> his<\/span> Bakhmut.<\/span> It<\/span> far<\/span> outweighs<\/span> the<\/span> operational<\/span> gains<\/span> that<\/span> can<\/span> be<\/span> made.”<\/span> Posted<\/span> to<\/span> Twitter<\/span> feed<\/span> on<\/span> Thursday.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>On<\/span> Friday,<\/span> Putin<\/span> said<\/span> a<\/span> 2015<\/span> peace<\/span> deal<\/span> in<\/span> eastern<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> brokered<\/span> by<\/span> France<\/span> and<\/span> Germany<\/span> had<\/span> bought<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> time<\/span> to<\/span> prepare<\/span> for<\/span> war<\/span> with<\/span> Russia<\/span> later<\/span> this<\/span> year,<\/span> according<\/span> to<\/span> former<\/span> German<\/span> Chancellor<\/span> Angela<\/span> Merkel’s<\/span> recent<\/span> criticized<\/span> the<\/span> comment.<\/span> The<\/span> deal<\/span> sparked<\/span> a<\/span> war<\/span> with<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> forces,<\/span> which<\/span> pro-Russian<\/span> separatists<\/span> had<\/span> occupied<\/span> in<\/span> Donbass<\/span> a<\/span> year<\/span> ago<\/span> and<\/span> escalated<\/span> into<\/span> war<\/span> with<\/span> Russia<\/span> itself<\/span> following<\/span> a<\/span> full-scale<\/span> invasion<\/span> on<\/span> February<\/span> 24.<\/span> The<\/span> purpose<\/span> was<\/span> to<\/span> cool<\/span> down<\/span> the<\/span> tension<\/span> after<\/span> the<\/span> event.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KYIV,Ukraine (AP) December, 10\u00a0\u2014 Russian forces have \u201cdestroyed\u201d the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, while Ukraine’s military on Saturday reported missile, rocket and air strikes in multiple parts of the country that Moscow is trying to conquer after months of resistance. The latest battles of Russia’s 9 1\/2 month war in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2342,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[26,276,2480,2482],"tags":[170,279,484,76,154,156],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/war1.webp","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2341"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2344,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341\/revisions\/2344"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}