Bloodbath in Bakhmut: Ukraine’s Dilemma in the Battle Against Putin’s Troops
In the bloodiest battle of the conflict to date, Ukraine’s valiant defenders fought last night to prevent encirclement.
Countless thousands perished on both sides during the Battle of Bakhmut, where Putin’s Wagner Group mercenaries became cannon fodder after launching foot assaults against the defenders’ guns.
After a suspected Russian Iskander missile cut the last route and lifeline into the devastated community, Ukrainian combat engineers braved nonstop bombardments to construct a pontoon bridge.
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Russian troops have launched a pincer movement to encircle the city from the north and south after months of struggling to advance with a full-frontal assault.
Surprisingly, nearly every structure has been reduced to rubble, yet approximately 5,000 civilians, including 37 children, remain.
Yesterday, The Sun joined troops — some of whom were trained in Britain — in “zero line” trenches on the city’s southern flank as rockets, mortars, missiles, heavy artillery, and grenades from automatic launchers rained down on their quagmire positions.
Soldiers who had been in the city described a hellish scene of slaughter reminiscent of World War I as Wagner’s largely convicted army was thrown into a “meat grinder.”
Russian prisoners asserted that Wagner commanders shot their men if they attempted to retreat.
A soldier who fought within Bakhmut stated, “Wagner is not like soldiers.
“When we strike them, they do not stop to care for their wounded; they continue to advance.
“A five-member squad would advance. Three of them are killed, and the remaining two begin digging.
“Then these two are killed and five more runs forward and repeat, but this time they are aware of our firing positions, so another squad provides covering fire.”
“Perhaps they will dig a bit deeper before they are killed, but they will eventually construct a trench they can defend.”
Western officials minimize the strategic significance of the city.
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Last year, President Zelensky lauded Bakhmut’s defenders in a speech to the United States Congress, elevating the monument’s status to that of an icon.
He flew to Washington hours after meeting with troops in a battlefield bunker.
He stated that every inch was saturated with blood.
The phrases “Bakhmut Remains!” and “Bakhmut Fortress!” have become rallying cries of the Ukrainian resistance.
Recently, however, Zelensky indicated that his soldiers may have to retreat.
He referred to the fighting as “the most difficult situation” and stated, “It is essential that we defend it, but not at any cost and not at the expense of everyone’s lives.”
Bloodbath in Bakhmut: Ukraine’s Dilemma in the Battle Against Putin’s Troops. One of the reasons Ukraine has clung to power for so long is that it can inflict enormous losses on Russia.
An official from the West stated, “Ukrainians have been very effective at holding back the Russians and killing a large number of their troops.
“We must be direct about this.”
However, US officials reportedly advised Ukraine to abandon the city, insisting that it possesses little strategic value.
Wagner’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has staked his reputation on acquiring Bakhmut.
Since launching the assault in August, he has repeatedly missed his deadlines and admitted that his men are being slaughtered.
He posted a photo of dozens of bodies in a ditch and accused Moscow’s defense chiefs of betraying them by starving their artillery of ammunition.
The Ukrainian military, however, does not recognize a shortage of Russian ammunition.
One survivor told The Sun that more than fifty percent of his unit was decimated in just seventy-two hours on the front.
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Ivan, 37, who sustained shrapnel injuries and was evacuated, stated, “The Russians were 40 meters away.” It consisted mainly of close combat and constant bombardment.”
Four members of his six-man squad were killed after three days in the town.
The former cabinetmaker stated that only 21 members of the unit of 52 remained.
He added, “It was hell when the Russian artillery was on us.” They are our demise.
“I have witnessed the deaths of over fifty comrades. I have gathered the shattered remains of ten of my friends.”
When asked how he would feel if his fellow soldiers retreated from Bakhmut, Ivan responded, “For the time being, we are holding Bakhmut and focusing on the larger objective of expelling Russia from our entire country.”
One survivor who spoke to The Sun stated that the training he received in the United Kingdom helped to save his life.
When his squad was nearly surrounded on the northern outskirts of Bakhmut, the valiant Andrii, age 26, was struck by a mortar round.
He stated, “Bakhmut is the underworld.”
Before receiving training on anti-tank missiles in Ukraine, Andrii spent 35 days learning infantry fundamentals and trench and urban warfare at Lydd Camp in Kent.
“The training in Britain was difficult, but it was worth it,” he said.
“We learned survival skills.
Devastating bombardments “We have learned to fight.
“We learned how to maneuver under fire, how to fight in a stairwell, and how to defend a building under attack.
We learned how to carry our equipment, use our weapons, and administer combat first aid.
When shrapnel tore into his shoulder, Andrii had been on the front lines for less than a week.
He stated, “We were nearly surrounded in a village just north of Bakhmut.”
“We were under the constant tank and mortar fire for five days in a building.
“We received orders to evacuate the area.
“An armored BTR (transporter) arrived to retrieve our anti-tank missiles, and they evacuated our wounded.
“We were forced to flee on foot as the mortar fire was nearly nonstop.
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“We sought refuge in an abandoned home.
“I had just begun sentry duty when a mortar exploded nearby.
Perhaps they had seen us using a drone.
According to the troops, Russia’s advance was supported by devastating rocket and shell artillery barrages and the uncommon use of helicopter gunships.
A soldier stationed in a mud-filled trench on the southern flank of the town reported that the roar of a Ka-50 attack helicopter in the valley below his position had rendered his legs unusable.
The 35-year-old businessman who enlisted on the first day of the war stated, “I don’t mind the shelling or the shooting. However, the helicopters were frightening.”
Bloodbath in Bakhmut: Ukraine’s Dilemma in the Battle Against Putin’s Troops. On Ukraine’s front lines, the Russians are reportedly losing 1,000 soldiers per day, including those killed and wounded.
In a three-week battle around the southern Donbas town of Vuhledar, they lost up to 130 tanks.
However, the bloodiest fighting has occurred near Bakhmut, where Russia has relied on infantry and artillery rather than tanks and armored vehicles.
Dima, commander of an anti-tank platoon, stated, “They are not using their tanks to attack in Bakhmut because they are aware that we can destroy them with Javelins and NLAWs” (missiles).
“They have absorbed the lessons of the previous year.
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“Now they are using the tanks like mobile artillery, hiding on the far side of hills and shooting at us.”
In the year-long conflict, Russia has suffered approximately 200,000 deaths and injuries, which is nearly double Ukraine’s losses.
The hospital near Bakhmut reported that it treated between 100 and 200 front-line casualties per day.
Last night, the Ukrainian military dug new trenches to defend the nearby cities of Kramatorsk and Kostyantynivka if Bakhmut falls.
Alexander, age 42, was also injured during the battle for Bakhmut.
He stated, “Of course we are afraid; everybody is afraid. However, you can still fight despite your fear.”
His legs were injured by shrapnel when his eight-person assault troop carrier was ambushed by rocket-propelled grenades.
He stated, “Of my group of eight, five were injured. Fortunately, another squad was covering us, allowing us to escape.”
The former painter and decorator are among a group of older foot soldiers in their late 30s and 40s who responded to their country’s call a year ago when Vladimir Putin launched his invasion.
Despite the horrors they described, all three wounded Bakhmut survivors insisted on returning to the battle. Alexander responded, “If not us, then who?”
