Original subtitles

What is known about the withdrawal of Wagner’s

group from Bakhmut and generally what is the situation in this direction ?

The Ukrainian defense forces in Bakhmut control a small area with access to logistics artery 05-04.

This location is completely under the fire control of the Ukrainian defense forces, so the enemy has

engaged in regrouping in the city itself and reduced the number of any active operations in

Bakhmut. That there will be a complete withdrawal of the Wagner PMC from the city, I have doubts,

Prigozhin has already repeatedly promised to withdraw his units from the Bakhmut bridgehead.

He is really trying, as soon as possible, to leave the city,

because he understands that the flanks are falling off.

And they are crumbling because there is not enough resource to deter Ukrainian counterattacks, which

continue to increase the zone of control by the Ukrainian defense forces, just outside the city.

As of today, there are approximately 4,000 Wagner PMC personnel in Bakhmut. They are

holding what's left of the city, who are they going to be replaced by, regular Russian troops?

Well, where will these regular troops get another 4 thousand to replace the

Wagner grouping, if they can't hold the flanks?

Even more I will say, they do not have enough resources to hold the border and have to move

the 3rd Motor Rifle Division from the Luhansk direction. They have a catastrophic shortage

of even human resources today. If they move some personnel from the flanks or from other locations

to the city, it will end up that the flanks will either begin to crumble much faster, or there will

be a leveling of the defensive capabilities in some other beachhead, some other location.

Therefore, Prigozhin, only partially, in my opinion, will deal with the withdrawal of

his Wagnerians, but the vast majority will remain exactly in Bakhmut. For him, the main thing today

is what? To leave the city as soon as possible, to demonstrate pathos that he is the winner.

After a while the Russians will be forced to flee Bakhmut. And when they flee, he will

start a new wave of discrediting and information attacks against Generals Shoigu and Gerasimov.

But then he will already be on Russian territory, he will be in Russia as the victor who captured

Bakhmut, allegedly Bakhmut is some kind of a Kyiv. And in this way this ascent to the political

Olympus will continue for him, because now there is a struggle for his political prospects.

Though I still do not completely understand why he needs it. Now his rating is too low, and when

it grows up, they will get rid of Prigozhin, as they always get rid of real competitors.

There are other thoughts, but right now it is too early.

Let me summarize the events in the Bakhmut direction.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces in Bakhmut achieved the main thing: they exhausted the Russian forces and

leveled that big winter offensive. The enemy was trapped in Bakhmut and it cost Russia at least

60,000 casualties in the Bakhmut-Popasna sector during the year-long battle.

Today there are no Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut itself, but the occupiers still

do not control the entire area. There are areas where they are successfully

prevented from entrenching themselves, and Ukrainian artillery is working very hard.

Fighting continues in the area of Klischiivka. While the settlement

is still not under the control of the AFU,

there the enemy paratroopers are trying to put up a strong resistance, the fighting is heavy.

The Ukrainians are holding back the enemy and also counterattacking quite successfully - there is a

small advance. So far without predictions of further developments in this direction.

There are positive aspects, there are negative aspects.

This is a war that the world has not seen for almost 80 years. Time will tell.