Without losses, Wagnerians will not be able to move away from Bahmut, - ISW
Fighters of the "Wagner" PMC are in direct contact with Ukrainian troops. Therefore, they will not be able to leave Bakhmut without losses.
This is stated in the daily report of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Censor.NET informs.
ISW experts also note that the militants in the process of withdrawal will interfere with the units of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in preparing for the planned Ukrainian counteroffensive.
In addition, the "Wagner" PMC is unlikely to be able to organize a proper defense, or consolidate the recent successes in Bakhmut, sufficient to prevent Ukrainian counterattacks. The Ukrainian military is stationed in Khromove and Ivanivske and is also fighting the occupiers in Bakhmut and its surroundings. Ukrainian artillery is also hitting Russian forces in and around Bakhmut.
Retreating into contact with the enemy is an extremely difficult task that the fighters of the "Wagner" PMC are unlikely to cope with. Wagner units have demonstrated poor coordination with Russian troops and the Russian military command, which may hinder the rotation.
It is unlikely that the Russian military command will muster enough forces to replace the militants in Bakhmut and hold its flanks without redeploying Russian troops from other areas.
