Bakhmut Folds: Russia Takes City + Ukraine's Struggle Against Toll of Attrition (TheNewAtlas)

Update on the conflict in Ukraine for May 22, 2023:

- Russian Ministry of Defense claims the Donbass city of Bakhmut/Artyomovsk has been fully taken by Russian forces;

- Western analysts claim the city’s capture will not “turn the tide” of the conflict, ignoring the war of attrition taking place superseding territorial advances;

- The US is sending another weapons package to Ukraine featuring an unspecified amount of ammunition for HIMARS, artillery systems, anti-tank weapons, and both bridging and logistics equipment;

- The US is also incrementally moving in favor of sending Ukraine F-16 fighter jets through third party nations in Europe. The F-16 represents no specific capability Ukraine’s own air force didn’t have before being removed from the battlefield;

- The Western media continues incrementally admitting the limits in military industrial output preventing the US and Europe from providing Ukraine with weapons and ammunition to match or exceed Russia’s military capabilities; [Russia is producing millions of artillery rounds per year, and many hundreds of tanks]



Despite denials in the media, the pro Ukrainian battle maps show that the city is now fully under the control of the Russians. Talking heads in the media, when they admit the 'potential' loss, describe the city as unimportant, and that Russia paid a heavy price for it, referring to the battle as a 'meat grinder'. However the 'meat grinder' term was used more specifically in reference to the defenders of the city who were subjected to relentless Russian bombardments. The truth is the city is a vital part of the Ukrainian Defence lines. The loss leaves only one weaker line of defence, that is already under attack, before open ground.

[Posted at the SpookyWeather2 blog, May 23, 2023.]