Quote (Malopox @ Apr 23 2023 11:03am)
My take is that propaganda is keeping morale up by focusing on a concrete strategy (counteroffensive) to reclaim what is lost - while attempting to dehumanize the opposite party as much as possible by releasing footages of last summers atrocities (eg that video where a guy gets his head cut off). Absence of a solid plan - morale will plummet I guess as people will start asking questions.
I don’t understand what’s the strategic purpose of Bakhmut for eg Russians except to kill as many Ukrainians/Wagner guys as possible. This reduces the amount of UA forces and also reduces Prigozhins power as he might have political ambitions if he does too well in Ukraine.
Bakhmut is pretty centrally located and in some ways a crossroads city. I think ultimately it's importance is as a key staging ground and logistical hub for eventual attack on Sloviansk & Kramatorsk. One thing that's evident from this war is that cities are key for defensive purposes because the concrete high rises & other structures serve as really good defensive areas to dig in. If Bakhmut falls, its conceivable that all the smaller settlements/town that don't have these bunker-like structures between it and Sloviansk and Kramatorsk would also eventually fall.
For example, check this map out. There is a rail line going east north south and west just north of Bakhmut in the Krasna Noga area. Having rails means you could transfer a lot of material, fuel, ammo, food, etc. and sustain offensive.
https://liveuamap.com/This post was edited by ofthevoid on Apr 23 2023 10:48am