Instead of capturing Bakhmut, Russians are now preparing for counteroffensive of AFU, - ISW
The priorities of the Russian Ministry of Defence have changed. Now, the main thing for the Russians is not the capture of Bakhmut, but preparations for a counter-offensive by the Defence Forces.
This is stated in a report by the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Censor.NET reports.
Its experts point out that the Russian Ministry of Defence has put the "Wagner" PMC and its owner, Yevhen Prigozhin, in a potentially difficult position by changing the priority of the Bakhmut offensive in favour of preparing for defence against a Ukrainian counter-offensive.
Prigozhin said that Wagner would leave Bakhmut on 10 May if it did not receive the necessary supplies. He also made several sharp emotional attacks on the Russian military command.
The report points out that despite the shift in priorities of the Russian Armed Forces leadership, Wagner did not stop trying to completely capture Bakhmut.
The ISW notes that the prolonged retention of the Wagner in Bakhmut is inconsistent with the slowdown in Russian operations in other parts of Ukraine. After all, Russian troops are shifting their focus to preparing for a counter-offensive by Ukraine.
"The operationally sound decision for the Russian Ministry of Defence would be to begin holding and stockpiling ammunition and supplies to prepare for any Ukrainian counter-offensive, and Prigozhin's desperate statements indicate that the Russian Ministry of Defence is likely to do just that," the statement said.
The ISW also notes that in Zaporizhzhia region, the Russians are going to withdraw from their current positions to a prepared defence line. This is evidenced by the evacuation of 70,000 Ukrainian civilians announced by the occupiers.
