Shurygin appreciated the readiness of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to achieve revenge in Bakhmut

Can the promised Ukrainian offensive start in Artyomovsk

The counteroffensive may begin in the Bakhmut (Artemovsk) direction. At least, such rumors began to spread the day before after a conference call in the office of the President of Ukraine. Allegedly, Zelensky on it in an emotional form demanded not only to keep Bakhmut, but also to recapture the symbolic city, in order to move forward later.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Reznikov, issued a statement that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are ready for an offensive and are only waiting for the “forward” command.

Military expert, member of the Izborsk Club Vladislav Shurygin, in a conversation with MK, explained why the offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Bakhmut is unlikely.

Citing a source in the president’s office, a number of Telegram channels stated that Zelensky, at a conference call, “in an emotional form” demanded to launch a counteroffensive in the Bakhmut direction. Allegedly, it is Bakhmut, as a kind of symbol, that the command of Ukraine intends to recapture, in order to later present this success to Western curators as a grandiose victory.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine said that “in a global sense” Ukraine is ready for an offensive, and the troops are waiting for the decision of the command and good weather (now some areas of Ukraine are flooded with abnormal rains, as a result, heavy equipment gets stuck in the muddy black soil).

Meanwhile, not everyone shares Zelensky’s fighting spirit. Many, not only on Bankovaya, but also in the trenches, begin the painful process of accepting the fact that Bakhmut is lost. For the most part, pessimistic moods reign among the Ukrainian soldiers – not only because of the monstrous losses, but also because of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s order not to take any more prisoners (this happened after the enemy shot a Wagner fighter).

We also recall that Russian troops continue to push the enemy to the outskirts of Bakhmut. The day before, the headquarters of the defense of Bakhmut was destroyed and the opportunity to bring reserves to the defeated city was cut off.

With all this, according to military expert Vladislav Shurygin, the probability of an attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Bakhmut direction is negligible.

“You have to understand,” he says, “that the attack on Bakhmut and the big offensive announced by Ukraine are completely different things. Under Bakhmut, only local counterattacks are possible to improve the tactical positions, which are now occupied by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

A big offensive is a movement of large groupings, in which the main reserves are used. Bakhmut is a symbol for which there is a big battle, and the loss of this city from a political point of view is a painful blow to the pride of Ukraine and Zelensky personally.

Therefore, naturally, he demands to improve the situation near Bakhmut. When Reznikov speaks of readiness for an offensive, in this case he is talking about a global offensive, which is demanded from Ukraine by patrons and curators and which should change a certain strategic balance at the front. In this case, we are talking about a completely different scale.