“I call for a retreat”

He calls for withdrawal. In principle. The German military expert Ralph Thiele (68) says about the war in Ukraine: “If the Ukrainian troops in Bakhmut are surrounded, it is to be feared that the heroes will fall victim.”

The endless resistance turns the defenders of the eastern Ukrainian city into heroes. But: “The sacrifice of the soldiers languishing in a painful war of attrition under deadly Russian artillery fire only makes sense if the Ukrainians launch a surprise attack elsewhere by tying up Russian forces.”

Thiele compares the current situation to Mariupol. “The sacrifice of the heroes of Mariupol made sense within limits.” This is because they bought Ukraine time to better organize its defense against Russian aggression. However, the bloody battle in Bakhmut is mainly about prestige and much less about strategic logic.

The bloodiest battle of the war

Bachmut is considered a “meat grinder” in the war: in addition to ordinary soldiers, Russia mainly uses Wagner’s mercenaries at the front and aims to exhaust the Ukrainians. The Ukrainian army, in turn, wants to bind as many Russian troops as possible and inflict casualties. Countless deaths on both sides are the result.

The Russians are now also attacking from the north and south, not just from the east. For the Ukrainians there is only one clear way for a possible retreat, the commander of the Ukrainian drone unit Robert “Madjar” Browdy (47) recently announced on Telegram.

Browdy reported “constant seizures”. “The enemy is shelling the city with tanks, air missiles and, more recently, with airplanes.” Worst of all, the Ukrainians apparently don’t have the weapons for an offensive. “We don’t have enough mines and we don’t have hand grenade launchers,” he laments in the video.

“Russia doesn’t count its men at all”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (45) announced in his evening video address on Tuesday that the fighting for Bakhmut was becoming increasingly intense. “Russia does not count its men at all and sends them into battle to constantly attack our positions.” Already on Monday, Zelenskiy asked the West for more weapons, including fighter jets.

After all, according to military expert Thiele, there are “well-prepared lines of support for the Ukrainians behind the previous front”, the collapse of which had been expected for weeks. “The Ukrainian armed forces from Bakhmut must first recover and then be reorganized.” Thiele estimates that “few biological associations” would remain.

President Zelensky’s adviser Alexander Rodnjansky even told the US news channel “CNN”: “Our military will weigh all options.” So far they have kept Bachmut, but if necessary they would retreat strategically – “because we will not just sacrifice all our people for nothing”.

Rodnyansky says the region west of Bakhmut has been fortified. “If we pull out, it doesn’t necessarily mean the Russians can advance very quickly.” And: “Don’t be fooled, our counter-offensive is coming soon.”

“The situation is stuck”

Military expert Thiele generally says the situation is deadlocked. “The Russians have a multiple superiority, in terms of personnel and all weapon systems, including their ammunition.” However, Ukraine’s much better motivation, incomparable agility and information superiority, fueled by Western satellites, drones and intelligence services, have so far basically surpassed Russian superiority.

Nevertheless, according to Thiele, “the faltering, unsustainable supply of weapons and ammunition in the West” bodes badly for the Ukrainians. “We still have to build the weapons systems and ammunition production facilities and hire and train the workers.” According to Thiele, the most important questions today are: “Will the Leopard tanks arrive on time?” And: “Do they actually make the desired decisive difference on the battlefield?”

Source: Blick