Original subtitles

The Severodonetsk-Bakhmut line of fighting became the most legendary and crucial in this war.

The Russian invaders managed to take Severodonetsk and Lisichansk with very heavy losses,

they lost at that time, according to different estimates, from 12 to 15

thousand personnel with combat experience, these were all professional military.

Then, thanks to their stupidity, due to the fact that Russian propaganda

itself drove them into the blind corner, they had to "on principle" break their

teeth on Severodonetsk and Lisichansk, losing their most combat-capable units.

The Russians had enough strength to reach Bakhmut, but that was the end of their offensive potential.

For Bakhmut itself is now being fought over by recruits and unfit cannon fodder collected

from all over Russia. The regular military ran out a couple dozen kilometers early.

The Russian leadership thought that the tactics of frontal attacks will work always and everywhere,

that they will be able to take meat and iron without special tactics every city and village,

but it turned out that in the 21st century armies are fighting with their brains.

At the moment, Bakhmut has been standing for 6 months! And does not even think of surrendering.

These six months at Bakhmut will go down in the history of modern Russia as the bloodiest

attempt to break through the defense, even though the defense is not over yet.

The attempted assault by the Russians at Bakhmut looks like this:

200 invaders came out, 200 invaders did not return.

They are followed by the next ones. And so on to infinity.

Neither side is going to retreat.

For Ukrainians, this is strategically necessary - it is symbolism and a way

to grind as many occupiers as possible, which is bearing fruit in other areas.

And what about for the Russians? For them the

defeat at Bakhmut will be no less loud than at Kharkov or Kherson.

How to explain to a Russian in front of a TV set that the great and mighty army

fought for half a year for small Bakhmut and in the end lost the battle? You can't.

I do not even speak for the exit to the administrative borders of the Donetsk region,

we can forget about this since the de-occupation of Izium and Lyman,

which were strong beachheads for the Russians for further offensive.

For the Russian occupiers directly involved in the fighting in the Bakhmut area,

the prospect of taking the city means some intermediate result,

promising if not the end of the fighting, at least some pause. Some are hoping to

be promoted for a successful operation and move to the rear, away from the blood, cold and mud.

Some are counting on a withdrawal for re-forming and leave. And some are thinking about being

discharged to the reserve at the end of the contract period or for medical reasons.

In addition, the prosaic reason may lie behind the Russians' desire to

capture Bahmut - even in a ruined city it is better to winter than in trenches.

Bakhmut is an insanely heavy meat grinder. Bakhmut is a heroic battle, on the level

of the historic Battle of Verdun. Bahmut is one of the biggest disgraces

of the Russians in this war. Bakhmut is a hero city.