Bachmut, the battlefield of World War I meat grinder reappears!

Bakhmut, a city in eastern Ukraine, has become the focus of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. More than five months ago, after the Russian army captured North Donetsk and Lisichansk, it deployed this important town to be won by heavy troops. Five months later, it is still one of the focuses of the war between the two sides. The two sides have invested a lot of resources to compete here inch by inch, and the media exclaimed that it has become the battlefield of World War I meat grinder.

"Ukrainian troops near Bakhmut are fighting in the trenches of World War I", Russian TV station glavny reported that Bakhmut, known as Aljomovsk in Russia, and Ukrainian militants in the front trenches near here complained about their poor position-they had to fight in knee-deep mud.

According to the report, relevant photos are coming out on various social platforms, which shows that the soldiers of the Ukrainian armed forces are in a regrettable situation. Due to the deterioration of the weather, they are in the mud, and the trenches there are even more reminiscent of those in the First World War.

The report also said that the Russian army continued to carry out special operations in this area. As is known to all, in the direction of Aljomovsk, the Russian armed forces wiped out the famous Ukrainian radical Dmitry Siddall, who was known as "Sunset".

how tragic was the battle in Bachmut? The New York Times also reported in detail on 27th.

"In the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, for nearly an hour, Ukrainian casualties seemed endless: ambulances, armored personnel carriers and private vehicles roared to a stop one after another, and the wounded were moved out in front of the only military hospital in the city". The New York Times said that a soldier, with the help of his comrades-in-arms, walked into the gate of the hospital with a bloody face. The dark green stretcher waiting for him is one of several stretchers still stained with blood.

It is reported that by noon on the 25th, doctors counted 5 wounded people, many of whom were soldiers, and the situation the day before was even worse: 24 people were taken to hospital, with gunshot wounds, shrapnel injuries and concussion.

A Ukrainian soldier said that his troops were retreating when he was forced to blow up with artillery shells. At the same time, another Ukrainian army in other parts of Bakhmut is attacking a Russian position.

a soldier from the 71st brigade of the Ukrainian army said that his legs were injured by a grenade when he was pushing into the trench of the Russian army. The grenade was either thrown by a drone or fired by a Russian grenade launcher.

"Ukrainian soldiers who just came out of the front line huddled in front of the hospital, their faces, uniforms and weapons were covered with mud spots, and their pants were soaked by rain." The New York Times said that the cold temperature and muddy trenches also caused injuries to both sides. Doctors at Bakhmut Hospital said that hypothermia and trench foot were common skin diseases in the Ukrainian army, which were caused by long-term immersion in cold water.

In recent months, Ukraine has made some initiatives on the battlefield, regaining the Kharkov region and the southern city of Hellson. But Bakhmut, located in Donbass, Ukraine, is still a huge meat grinder that devours the lives of soldiers of the two countries. For months, as the Russians desperately tried to capture the city, while the Ukrainians tried to hold it, both sides invested a lot of troops and materials here. The result is almost disastrous. This city, which once had a population of about 7,, has been gradually reduced to ruins.

from the western point of view, the Russian army's "strong attempt to seize the city" is confusing-in other places on the 6-mile front, Russian soldiers are mostly digging trenches for the winter to consolidate their positions and protect resources.

This summer, after the Russian army captured the neighboring Lugansk, it seems that the capture of Bakhmut is a natural action for Russia to capture Donbass. As long as this city is captured, it will be a step towards capturing two more important cities in Donetsk-Slavyansk and Kramatorsk. However, considering that the Russian army has experienced a series of setbacks in the past few months, especially after losing its foothold in the Kharkov region, this goal seems unlikely to be achieved now.

The fact is that Bakhmut has quickly become the main direction of action in Moscow recently. Ukrainian soldiers said that the troops recently mobilized by the Russian army were sent here to try to surround the city from the east and south.

The New York Times said that the recent battlefield progress around Bachmut is measured in yards, not miles. Every day, Russian and Ukrainian troops either advance or retreat, often at the cost of blood to obtain the minimum benefits.

both sides consume not only manpower, but also materials.

"In my six months in Bakhmut, I have never seen our artillery work like this," said a Ukrainian soldier at the front, referring to the number of shells fired by Ukraine.

U.S. Department of Defense officials said that one of the problems that the Pentagon often worries about is that Ukrainians fire ammunition at an unsustainable speed, especially in Bakhmut and other places. They mistakenly believe that the supply of ordnance in western countries is unlimited.

since July, the war in Bakhmut has evolved into a war of attrition, and its strategic significance has also changed. The New York Times analyzed that even though Russian hopes of occupying more territory here have weakened, it may still make it a resource black hole in Kiev, forcing Ukraine to allocate troops and war resources from other priorities, which may include future attacks.

this may be what the west is worried about. But in fact, the situation is not clear now, and the two sides can only hold on at present.

Further reading:

Media: The cold winter has officially arrived, and five key issues of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine have surfaced

On November 27th, the weather in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, was "snowy, with the temperature of -1 degrees Celsius"

The cold winter really came.

Since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, western weapons have helped Ukraine to win a partial counterattack on the eastern and southern fronts, but Russia still controls about 2% of Ukraine's territory. At the same time, Russian air strikes to destroy energy and power systems in various parts of Ukraine continue.

As the Russian-Ukrainian military conflict enters winter, five key issues have surfaced:

First, how will winter affect the fighting process?

In the 1th month of the conflict, with the deterioration of weather and outdoor conditions, the fighting is expected to decrease overall.

Colin Carr, US Deputy Secretary of Defense, said last week that "bad weather in Ukraine" has begun to slow down the fighting, and muddy weather has made it difficult for both warring parties to launch a large-scale attack.

He told reporters: "I think this kind of challenge will become more severe in the next few weeks, and we must see if the fighting will slow down."

According to the Pentagon, in order to cope with the severe winter, the United States has provided the Ukrainian army with cold-resistant equipment, including tens of thousands of snow coats, wool hats, boots and gloves, as well as generators and tents.

second, will cold become a "weapon"?

The Hill believes that Russian troops are "weaponizing" the cold. Last week, Russia launched air strikes on the infrastructure of major Ukrainian cities such as Kiev and Lviv. The head of the Ukrainian electric power company said on the 26th that no thermal power plant or hydropower station in Ukraine is intact at present.

According to Al Jazeera's report on 27th, Kiev Mayor Klichko said on the Telegram channel that 9% of residential buildings in the Ukrainian capital had resumed heating and water supply had been restored to every household. However, a quarter of the city's residents still have no electricity supply. According to the weather forecast, there will be heavy snow in Kiev on the evening of the 27th, the temperature will drop below zero, and the snowfall will last until the middle of this week.

Kiev residents line up to get food in the snow.

Kruger, regional director of the World Health Organization in Europe, said that Ukraine's medical system is expected to suffer a heavy blow in winter. As the weather gets colder, 2 million to 3 million people may be displaced in the coming months.

There is also a general view that when NATO countries are forced to burn firewood to keep warm, they will begin to shake NATO's support for Ukrainians. Cold may not be a weapon, but energy is.

third, can Russia make progress on the eastern front?

The British Ministry of Defence tweeted on 27th that fierce fighting had taken place in two towns in eastern Donetsk province of Ukraine in the past two weeks. Both Russia and Ukraine have invested heavily. "Fierce wars may continue to break out in this region in the future, partly because Russia believes that this region may become the starting point for future attacks to the north, and then seize the rest of Donetsk controlled by Ukraine."

It is reported that the struggle in Donetsk has escalated in the past week. Western observers say this is because Russian troops will inevitably send more troops and weapons to the east after withdrawing from southern Hellson.

Sputnik news agency & radio said on 27th that Ukrainian troops shelled Donetsk and Yasinovataya from midnight on 26th to early morning on 27th, and fired nine shells. These include 155-mm shells of in-service artillery from NATO countries.

fourth, how much role can Russian recruits play?

On the eve of Russian Mother's Day, on November 25th, Putin met with 17 military mothers who took part in special military operations in Ukraine. He said that the upbringing of children by mothers is the main foundation of Russia's existence and the whole history of the country. Putin also said that Russia will definitely achieve the goal of military operations in Ukraine.

more than two months ago, Putin announced that he would call up 3, reservists. Western media generally estimate that it will take at least a few months for these reservists to be trained, equipped and sent to the battlefield.

However, the American Institute of War Studies recently issued a report that the first batch of new Russian troops have completed training and have been deployed in Zaporoge, Lugansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. The report also said that "the Russian army may continue to use mobilized and redeployed soldiers to restart offensive operations in Donetsk and maintain defensive positions in Lugansk region."

Last Friday, when Putin met with military mothers, he said that it was no longer necessary to carry out conscription under the framework of partial mobilization. The Hill of the United States said that as the conflict developed into a protracted war, the possibility of a "second wave" of military mobilization in Moscow in December and January next year could not be ruled out.

fifth, can the two sides have a dialogue?

Mili, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Army, said that it is "not high" for Ukraine to achieve a military victory of "driving Russian troops out of Ukraine from the territory including Crimea". A week ago, Millie said at a meeting in new york that both sides should admit that military victory is impossible and the war must be ended through negotiations.

However, Kirby, the strategic communication coordinator of the White House National Security Council, told reporters last week that only Ukrainian President Zelensky can decide when he is ready to talk to the Russians. "No one in the United States is pushing, urging or pushing him to sit at the negotiating table."

So far, neither side of Russia nor Ukraine has sent a clear signal of negotiation, but the posture of watching the fire from the other side of the bank of the United States is clearly expressed.

Perhaps there should be a sixth key question: As the Russian-Ukrainian conflict enters the winter, what choices will taxpayers in the United States and the European Union face? Are you still willing to donate the money that should have been spent on children to military enterprises?