MSM Admits Bakhmut Encirclement Close; West Pulls Back on Jets; Lavrov Ridicules Blinken Offer (Alexander Mercouris)

Bakhmut is a meat grinder and it looks like the Russians want to maintain this situation. They are in no rush to storm the area that they have nearly encircled. And so the Ukrainian side keeps pouring in troops and equipment that are under almost continuous bombardment. And it's not like the bombardments are ineffective. There's online video where troops and officers are arguing about what is going on and they admit to 50 percent and greater casualties. Some entire formations have actually been wiped out, or nearabouts.

[Posted at the SpookyWeather2 blog, February 3, 2023.]