If they can just occupy that final intersection just east of Chasiv-Yar then it’s a done deal, as far as Bakhmut’s concerned. Loss of roads and highways means that they’ll have to either abandon all the heavy equipment and vehicles and beat a retreat through the countryside to the north west, or else commit to a long, grisly siege in the city. Either way they’re running out of options.
Or they could retreat now while the option is still open to them, or simply surrender. Of course, now that Krasna Hora’s been occupied that intersection seems to be the only way in or out for their vehicles and equipment. If the Russians are on the ball and so inclined, they could strafe entire convoys on the run down that road with their CAS and turn that whole route into a highway of death.
Also, not sure if they even want to retreat, UA strongly depends on western weapons deliveries so they need to keep them interested and offering some results for all that cash pumped. So “heroic last stand” would sure look better for this than surrender or retreat under heavy fire which would probably stop being orderly very fast.
Who is it on UA side that’s actually defending there? Its one thing for the ideologically committed, hardcore Ukronazi divisions to sit there and die, but reluctant conscripts would quickly lose morale under the misery of another Mariupol and cohesion would probably breakdown quickly.
Good question. I don’t know, but this is the most intensive combat zone in the war for a long while, and UA claim to have 30000 soldiers engaged so i would imagine that regardless of how many conscripts are there, the core of UA forces there are their best available units. So while those fight the rest would probably not retreat too. It might be like in Mariupol, where the less fanatical soldiers will surrender after situation getting hopless, and the core will fight till the end.
That salient is just getting juicier and juicier.
They will be surrounded in a few days
If they can just occupy that final intersection just east of Chasiv-Yar then it’s a done deal, as far as Bakhmut’s concerned. Loss of roads and highways means that they’ll have to either abandon all the heavy equipment and vehicles and beat a retreat through the countryside to the north west, or else commit to a long, grisly siege in the city. Either way they’re running out of options.
Looks like the moment when they need to decide to either be surrounded or retreat under the artillery fire.
Or they could retreat now while the option is still open to them, or simply surrender. Of course, now that Krasna Hora’s been occupied that intersection seems to be the only way in or out for their vehicles and equipment. If the Russians are on the ball and so inclined, they could strafe entire convoys on the run down that road with their CAS and turn that whole route into a highway of death.
Also, not sure if they even want to retreat, UA strongly depends on western weapons deliveries so they need to keep them interested and offering some results for all that cash pumped. So “heroic last stand” would sure look better for this than surrender or retreat under heavy fire which would probably stop being orderly very fast.
Who is it on UA side that’s actually defending there? Its one thing for the ideologically committed, hardcore Ukronazi divisions to sit there and die, but reluctant conscripts would quickly lose morale under the misery of another Mariupol and cohesion would probably breakdown quickly.
Good question. I don’t know, but this is the most intensive combat zone in the war for a long while, and UA claim to have 30000 soldiers engaged so i would imagine that regardless of how many conscripts are there, the core of UA forces there are their best available units. So while those fight the rest would probably not retreat too. It might be like in Mariupol, where the less fanatical soldiers will surrender after situation getting hopless, and the core will fight till the end.