ow12497 t1_jach718 wrote on February 28, 2023 at 1:16 PM

What I find strange is how so much of this war is being focused around Bakhmut right now, as if it falls, it's all over.

Isn't it essentially Ukraine's first line of defence right now? Don't they have 3 or 4 similarly, perhaps more, fortified cities to fall back to to their West?

It seems to me more right now that Russia are throwing everything they can at one small city, which Ukraine could probably just pull out of to a more advantageous position at any time.

Honestly feels like the Ukrainians are leading the Russian army into a nasty trap to me lol

technitecho t1_jacia52 wrote on February 28, 2023 at 1:26 PM

Considering what happened in bucha and other places... Ukraine is probably afraid that the civilians in bakhmut might have to face the revenge of the Russian army if bakhmut falls. I hope all civilians are already taken out of there.

Also every line of defence counts. If u go by the mentality that it's alright if the first one falls cause u have others, u won't be able to defend anything.

marianass t1_jaclq97 wrote on February 28, 2023 at 1:54 PM

Any civilian still in Bukhmat is probably a pro-Russian.

Ehldas t1_jaco98o wrote on February 28, 2023 at 2:14 PM

Actually most of them seem to be just old and afraid to leave everything they've ever known.

The_Redoubtable_Dane t1_jad9hca wrote on February 28, 2023 at 4:39 PM

Although this is probably the case, those 5000ish people have made their choice, and the Ukrainian army simply can't be expected to continue to act in a way that maximises those civilians' chance of survival. If anything, they are helping the Russian army by being in the way. Really not particularly patriotic.