Free Republic

Russian forces have succeeded in taking control of the small eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Their costly 10-month assault has left them exhausted and hemmed in with little chance of advancing. Since the battle for Bakhmut began last summer, observers have puzzled over why Moscow expended lives and equipment to destroy and capture a city with limited strategic value. Ukraine also drew criticism for devoting resources to its defense of the city, but its leaders have said bogging down Russian forces there was worth the cost. The protracted battle, in which thousands of Russian soldiers have died, has drawn parallels...

The current hysterical actions and statements of Prigozhin are a consequence of his attempt to save himself from the anger of the Kremlin’s top leadership. ... The Wagner Group chief was also unable to capture Bakhmut after months of fighting, despite receiving Putin’s approval to recruit criminals strictly for the purpose. So, Prigozhin’s recent statements about withdrawing his group from Bakhmut and his extensive interview on the topic of how “we can f**k up Russia thanks to the Kremlin elite” are nothing more than an attempt at self-defense. Prigozhin is a product of the Putin system, but now his position...