Battles near Bakhmut allowed Ukraine to draw back Russian forces that could defend themselves in Zaporizhzhia region, - ISW
The Ukrainian command made the right choice when it decided to defend Bakhmut to the last. The continuous combat operations of Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut successfully neutralized a significant part of the Russian Airborne Forces and, thus, increased Ukraine’s chances of operational success on the southern front.
This is stated in the analytical report of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Censor.NET informs.
"The decision of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine not to withdraw from Bakhmut and then to fight for its return drew criticism from some experts.
In particular, these experts stated that Bakhmut is not of great strategic importance, and the Ukrainian military could make better use of its most capable units that fought in the area," ISW recalled.
However, according to analysts, the Ukrainian defensive and counteroffensive operations in the Bakhmut area, which have been conducted since the summer of 2022, have been well implemented from an operational point of view and have helped divert a large amount of Russian combat power that could otherwise be used to strengthen Russian defenses in the south of Ukraine.
According to the ISW statement, two of the four divisions of the Russian Airborne Forces are currently active in the Bakhmut region, and three of the four separate Airborne Forces brigades have been deployed in this direction since June of this year.
"This significant Ukrainian achievement led to the fact that Russia was unable to create a significant mobile operational reserve of the Airborne Forces, which could be sent to reflect Ukraine's main counterattack on Zaporizhzhia," ISW experts believe.
