The Russian-Ukrainian War: Live March 9, 2023

Russian forces likely couldn’t move more quickly if they could fully capture Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assessed in a recent report. According to experts, half of the city is occupied by Russians.

“We do not see indications that the Russian forces have well-equipped and prepared reserve forces to bypass Bakhmut. Most of the Russian forces that have been spotted in Donbass are already involved in offensive operations, including the airborne units that joined the Russian offensive in January 2023. in Bakhmut,” he added. writes think tank experts.

According to the ISW, if Russian forces capture Bakhmut, their offensive in eastern Ukraine will soon reach its climax, as the Russians do not have the fighting strength or reinforcements to move forward.

In this context, the ISW recalls the words of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Wednesday that the capture of Bakhmut by Russian forces “will not necessarily reflect a turning point in this war.”

The report confirmed that according to ISW estimates on Tuesday, Ukrainian forces completed a controlled withdrawal from eastern Pakhmut across the Pakhmutka River. A think tank estimated that Russian forces occupied at least 50 percent of the city on Wednesday. Bashmut.

“It is likely that Russian forces will intensify their attacks on the northwestern and southwestern part of Bakhmut (in the north of Opetny and in the south of Yahden – ed.) in order to bypass the Bakhmutka River,” the ISW analysis reads.