Ukraine recap: Moscow's 'pyrrhic victory' in Bakhmut prompts unrest in the Russian military, but it's all smiles for Zelensky

You’d be inclined to agree with the description proffered by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) that this was a “pyrrhic victory”.

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https://theconversation.com/ukraine-recap-moscows-pyrrhic-victory-in-bakhmut-prompts-unrest-in-the-russian-military-but-its-all-smiles-for-zelensky-206461https://theconversation.com/ukraine-recap-moscows-pyrrhic-victory-in-bakhmut-prompts-unrest-in-the-russian-military-but-its-all-smiles-for-zelensky-206461
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Saturday, May 27, 2023
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Summary
Key Points: 
  • You’d be inclined to agree with the description proffered by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) that this was a “pyrrhic victory”.
  • Meanwhile Ukrainian forces continue to launch counterattacks in the area – so Russia’s confidence could well prove to be misplaced.
  • And the battle has caused a great deal of friction between the regular army, the Wagner Group and some of the hardline Russian commentators.
  • While all this has been going on, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, has been on a bit of a world tour.

Fighting on Russian soil

    • But analysts of this conflict have access to open-source intelligence that makes pinpointing where the fighting going on a great deal more accurate.
    • The fighting, in a number of small settlements in the Belgorod oblast close to the Ukraine border, appears to have involved a mix of pro-Ukraine Russian partisans and members of an anti-Putin neo-Nazi militia – although none of this has been fully confirmed.
    • Read more:
      Ukraine war: what we know so far about reports of battles being fought across the border in Russia

      .

The trouble with the Wagner Group

    • The aforementioned Wagner Group boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has been bitterly complaining about Russian military leadership.
    • “But what”, Prigozhin speculated, “if it turns out that this grandfather is a complete asshole?”

      Read more:
      Putin under pressure: the military melodrama between the Wagner group and Russia’s armed forces

      Incidentally, the UK government is considering designating the Wagner Group as a terrorist organisation, the first government to do so.

    • Read more:
      Wagner Group: what it would mean for the UK to designate Putin's private army a 'terrorist organisation'

Russians are Europeans too

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