Posted on 05/16/2023 4:03:24 PM PDT by dennisw
"The Russians have had a Bakhmut fixation," said Mick Ryan, a retired Maj. Gen. in the Australian army. The country reclaimed territory near the city last week after a series of surprise attacks. Ukraine is gaining momentum and reclaiming territory in Bakhmut after months of brutal and bloody fighting in the country's east that left thousands of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers dead.
Ukraine looked to shake up the essentially stalemated frontline near the one-time mining town this month, which has been left a decimated shell of a city after months of attrition warfare so ruthless it has become known as "the meat grinder."
Last week, Ukraine launched multiple surprise counterattacks, reclaiming several miles of territory around Bakhmut in the country's largest land gain since its autumn offensive in Kherson.
Russia fought back and has managed to maintain uneasy control over most of the destroyed city despite Ukraine's advances. Still, Ukrainian officials are touting the gains as proof of purchase of their monthslong approach to Russia's attacks in Bakhmut — defend the city as long as necessary to exhaust and deplete Russian troops ahead of Ukraine's much-anticipated counter-offensive.
Ukraine's dogged defense of the strategically unimportant city prompted calls from Western allies and military strategists earlier this year to abandon the town, voicing concerns that the endless fighting could leave Ukraine's troops wounded and unprepared for future attacks.
Russia, meanwhile, has dedicated the majority of its time, efforts, and resources this year to the fight in Bakhmut, though analysts are still uncertain why the former mining town became such a symbol for both sides, as the city's location would not necessarily offer Russia a wide-open pathway to claiming the rest of the region.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
More egg on the face for fake Tsar Pooootin. Prigozhin is their only competent military commander
1/3 The end of Ukraine aid is rapidly approaching. Reupping it won’t be easy
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4153530/posts
2/3 Corsi: How Hillary Clinton Began the Ukraine War in 2013
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4153385/posts
3/3 The Durham report has shown, as others have said, that the FBI refused to investigate her crooked foundation and Clinton’s involvement in creating the controversy surrounding Trump’s collusion with Russia.
And as Yoland here at FR said:
The Hillary Clinton “Trump- Russia” hate hoax with the knowledge and encouragement of then President Obama, Vice President Biden, and the Democrat Party and corporate press has shaken our trust in our Government. The evil machinations of the FBI, CIA, DOJ, foreign intelligence agents is sickening. Worst still, nobody has faced consequences for their lies and sabotage.
Why should anybody support the Biden Administration’s Ukraine’s war against Russia. Why support corruption? We have ample proof our Government lies.
I for one do not support World War 3.
OK, Ukraine is winning biggly, yup.
They should have defeated Russia 10x already based on the Western media propaganda. Keep sending Zelensky money, suckers!
I also heard they were giving up on child trafficking.
Evidently the Nazis being funded by US taxpayers don’t know the word fear.
Utter rubbish
I heard Wagner moved to Sudan where the slaughter is easier
The propaganda is getting deep.
In general, mercenaries cannot be completely trusted.
Wagner cleared out the “nest “ of high rise buildings today and all that is left are some mid sized apartment buildings and a few blocks of houses
Bakhmut is now over 97% in wagner control
The western media spin is already starting I see..
Ukraine also counter attacked in the city of bakhmut itself on the extreme SSW edge and pushed Wagner off the highway for a block
This is an area where Ukraine funnels it’s wounded out
It’s possible the counter attacks goal was to push the Russians away from the two main roads NW and SW of the city on the Flanks in case of a sudden withdrawal from the city
Lame comment by pro-Putin troll.
Mark Wauck, a retired FBI special agent: From this perspective we can see that the Russia Hoax play two roles. On the one hand, it would help put Hillary—an indifferent campaigner and shrewish personal presence at best—over the top. But the claim of Russian interference in a presidential election could gin up righteous outrage among the American public and lend support for the coming war with Russia. In the event, of course, Hillary lost. The Russia Hoax ended up being used by the Neocons mostly to tie Trump’s hands on foreign policy with regard to Russia. A Hillary regime might have seen a sanctions war to the hilt, such as we now see, before Putin had prepared Russia for that eventuality. Trump’s presidency, despite his own sanctions regime, put that plan on hold—thus the undying Neocon hatred for Trump.
The American Thinker's Thomas Lifson: So, here we are, engaged in a proxy war with Russia, holding the world’s largest nuclear arsenal. Putin is in a war that he can’t afford to lose, and he is forced into China’s embrace, triggering a geostrategic realignment whose consequences are already nearly catastrophic, and risking a nuclear war if Putin gets desperate.
Last Defense Line Collapsed l Russian Forces Made Huge Gains In Bakhmut
The Russia Hoax was real. And Prigozhin needs to off Putin. Anything else, Vlad stooge and buffoon?
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