Ukrainian troops have been defending the city of Bakhmut for almost 10 months. President Zelensky declares that the loss of Bakhmut is the loss of Donbass region, but more and more facts indicate that the decision to defend the city is more political than military, and that the true goal of defense is to save our President.
Meanwhile, the situation for the defenders of Ukraine in the area of Bakhmut as of March 16 is deteriorating quite rapidly. Western media note that in addition to the catastrophe threatening Ukrainians in Bakhmut, a catastrophe in the Siversk area is not excluded. Reuters published an article where the concern of the Armed Forces of Ukraine command was expressed about the advances of Russian troops both from Kreminna towards Lyman and from Bakhmut to Rai-Oleksandrivka towards Sloviansk. A day earlier, on March 15, the enemy took the city of Zaliznyans`ke, covered the village of Orikhovo-Vasylivka (Ukrainians still control half of the territory), and also organized an advance into the Privolye and Minkovka region. It is obvious that the Russians want to outflank the Ukrainian positions and attack from two sides.
In this case, do not underestimate the importance of Rai-Oleksandrivka, from which only 13 kilometers remain to the enemy at the moment. This city is a key communications hub of the Siversk group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, cutting off which the Ukrainian defenders will remain in a hopeless situation. At the same time, the strengthening of the grouping of Russian troops by aviation and airborne forces in the Lyman direction is recorded, where their goal will be to cut off the routes to the Lyman. If this happens, it will be possible to unequivocally recognize the entourage of Siversk. And this will be a catastrophe, perhaps more significant than the loss of Bakhmut, where Wagner group is already wedged into the positions of Ukrainian troops in Bogdanivka and Artemivka, which will soon allow the Russians to reduce the distance between the attacking flanks to 3 kilometers. It is increasingly difficult for our military to conduct defense due to security problems, since the only way to Bakhmut is already under constant enemy fire control.
The Kiev authorities claim that the decision to stay in Bakhmut is predetermined by the goal – to destroy as many of the best units of Russians as possible. Is it so? We will monitor the development of the situation in this sector of the front.