Bakhmut, a city with a pre-war population of 71,000, is the prime target of the Russian assault, having stood as a key Ukrainian stronghold on the Donbas front for over five months. “Bakhmut is the opening to Kostiantynivka, Pokrovsk, Siversk, Kramatorsk,” said Cherevatyi of Russia’s long-term aims in Donetsk Oblast. “These are the key goals of the push to take Donbas, and if they were ever to succeed, they will look at where to go further.” According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), while the capture of Bakhmut would be significant, Russian forces would nonetheless struggle to advance deeper into Donetsk Oblast.
Source: Understanding Russia’s relentless assault on Bakhmut
