A picture is worth 1000 words.
For those asking why Russians didn’t target those bridges west of Bakhmut months ago. Because they genuinely believed to take Bakhmut, easily, and head for the actual targets: Kramatorsk and Sloviansk
What I can't understand is why putin didn't go around Bakhmut and head for the actual targets...probably for the same reason that hitler wanted to take stalingrad.
I think you nailed it. Hitler could have surrounded Stalingrad and pounded and starved it into submission, instead hitler wanted the city named after his enemy to be captured and he thought quickly for political and propaganda reasons. He even declared to the German people at one point that Stalingrad was captured.
There are many similarities here. Soviets fought for Stalingrad for political reasons but also to bleed and tie down the German military. And at the point Germany had almost captured all of Stalingrad they were out of gas as it were and the Russians had built up their forces for the counterattack that destroyed the army there and led to Germans being routed
As is said history does not repeat itself but it does rhyme.
Ukraine not only has no need to take back bakmut through the city, it would be stupid. Surround them on easier ground and let the forces inside wither
