Emmanuel Karagiannis

Inserted 2 months ago

“The Wagner Group has its own tanks, artillery and drones, while maintaining an independent command and control system. In effect, it functions as a combined arms force. This victory is definitely credited to the Wagner Group, which is bound to affect relations with the Russian army. The battle of Bakhmut is the key to both sides' future plans in Donbas. If the Russians manage to occupy the town, they will try to regain some of the territory lost since September. If the Ukrainians defend the town successfully, they can ask for more western support for their spring counterattack in the region. At present, the Ukrainian army does not seem to have either the reserves or the equipment to push deeper into Donbas.”

Aljazeera

International security expert from King’s College London