The Ukrainian military’s surrender hotline, dubbed ‘I Want to Live,’ is enticing some Russian soldiers to quit the battlefield as the war drags on.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday that the seizure of Bakhmut would allow Russia to press its offensive deeper into the region. But Western officials have emphasized that even if Ukrainian troops eventually retreat from Bakhmut, its capture will not have strategic significance or change the course of the conflict.Bakhmut has for months been a target of Moscow’s grinding eastern offensive, with Russian troops inching closer to Kyiv’s key eastern stronghold.
“The continuing devolution of Russian force structure towards small assault detachments using simplified tactics, combined withamong the most effective Russian troops, will likely greatly limit the ability of Russian forces to properly exploit any paths of advance opened by the capture of Bakhmut,” the institute said.