Ukraine’s top commander explains why holding Bakhmut is so important

For months, Russia’s Armed Forces and Wagner Group mercenaries have been waging a bloody battle around what some analysts have called the insignificant town of Bakhmut. 

However, Bakhmut is far more important to the Ukrainian cause than most believe, at least that’s according to the overall military commander of the country’s ground forces.

On April 25, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi gave an interview with Interfax-Ukraine and explained why the town of Bakhmut has become so crucial to both sides in the war. 

Syrskyi explained that Bakhmut had become a focal point of the war because the east was the only area of the conflict where Russia has seen real traction in its invasion. 

The plan to conquer Ukraine in three days turned into a nine-month struggle to capture one tiny town in Donetsk according to Syrskyi, and the fight has become a sort of symbol.

“After a series of defeats in the north and south of Ukraine, the Russian leadership needs to demonstrate at least the slightest success in occupying Donbas,” Syrskyi said according to a Google translation of his interview. 

Russia portrays the fight as a kind of second Battle of Stalingrad, Syrski explained, and taking Bakhmut would be more than just a propaganda win according to the general, it could open up new lines of attack.  

Bakhmut is the key to unlocking the rest of Donetsk. If the Russians can’t capture the city then Vladimir Putin's commanders cannot push towards Kramatorsk and Siversk and meet their goals of conquering Donetsk. 

In order to achieve their goal, Syrskyi said that Russia would not spare any “human nor material resources,” which is why the fighting around Bakhmut has become so bloody. 

"The battles for Bakhmut are of utmost importance not only for the enemy, but for us too. Because in the last couple of months we are repelling the enemy attacks on this part of the front and not letting them expand the frontline,” the Colonel General said.

For the Ukrainians, holding Bakhmut comes with a number of advantages that aren’t always immediately apparent to outsiders, with the first being its position in Ukraine.

The city is well suited for defenders and is geographically situated on a hill that is surrounded by rivers and other natural obstacles, making it the perfect killing field according to Syrskyi.

High-rise buildings and the "developed infrastructure" present on the left bank of the Bakhmutova River also provide Ukrainian troops with excellent protection for the defense of the city and make capturing it difficult for Russian troops the Colonel General also noted.

Finally, Bakhmut is very important for the defense of the Kostiantynivsk-Kramatorsk agglomeration since the city pins Russian forces in place and protects a larger area. 

If Bakhmut were to fall, Syrskyi said it would allow Russian troops to hit Ukrainian forces in the flank and rear of their Lysychansk and Donetsk directions, a situation that would almost certainly lead to a larger strategic retreat to more defensible positions. 

Most importantly, however, Bakhmut is a killing ground that has tied up untold amounts of men and resources while eliminating Russia’s best soldiers and modern equipment.

“We are inflicting heavy losses on the enemy, eliminating their professional units and destroying their equipment and armored vehicles,” Syrskyi said in his interview. 

At present, Ukraine doesn’t have the luxury of choosing the battlegrounds of where they fight this war. A counter attack is coming, but allowing Russian and Wagner forces to destroy their combat effectiveness against fortress Bakhmut seems like a good strategy.