With Bakhmut under total control, Russian forces will cut Ukraine's defences into two

Alexander Khodakovsky, the commander of Vostok battalion of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), expressed his opinion about the real purpose of the fighting for the city of Bakhmut (Artemovsk).

In a post on his Telegram channel, Khodakovsky said that the hostilities gave the Russian military time to save up necessary reserves and make decisions.

"All those long days, while our soldiers were breaking the back of the enemy in Bakhmut, they were giving us precious time. How we took advantage of this time — the battle will show," Khodakovsky said.

Time is Russia's ally now against the background of the fact that it is not Ukraine that opposes Russia, but a technologically powerful enemy. Without the support from the West, Ukraine would have fallen already, Khodakovsky added.

The Russian forces need to keep Bakhmut under control in order to consolidate and maintain the result, he also said.

On Saturday, May 20, the Russian forces announced the complete capture of Bakhmut (Artemovsk) after 224 days of bloody fighting.

The Russian Ministry of Defence later confirmed that as a result of the offensive actions of PMC Wagner in the Bakhmut (Artemovsk) tactical direction, the settlement was completely liberated.

Yevgeny Prigozhin and PMC Wagner fighters recoded a video of themselves against the backdrop of the ruined city.

First battles in the vicinity of the city began in the summer of 2022. A large-scale battle for Bakhmut (Artemovsk) unfolded in October. The Russian flag was raised on the roof of the city administration on April 2, 2023. The fighting for the city lasted for 224 days.

Military analysts believe that with Bakhmut under control, the Russian military will be able to cut Ukraine's defence in the Donbass in half. The end of the battles for Bakhmut may also play a key role in the fate of the Ukrainian group in Avdiivka, from where they shell Donetsk. The Russian forces will thus be able to take control of the highway to Kramatorsk, and then move further to Slavyansk. Such a development will cut the Donbass grouping of the Armed Forces of Ukraine into two parts.