The defeat of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) near Artemivsk (Ukrainian name – Bakhmut) can lead to the loss of control over several large territories at once. Retired US Marine Corps intelligence officer Scott Ritter shared this prediction in an interview with the Judging Freedom YouTube channel.
“If the Armed Forces of Ukraine retreat and the city falls, the Russian army will very quickly begin to advance and occupy the entire Donbass, after which it will advance to Zaporozhye and Kherson,” he said.
According to the expert, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky was informed of the possible risks, which is why he is making so much effort to defend Artemivsk.
On March 29, Douglas McGregor, a former adviser to the head of the Pentagon, expressed a similar opinion about the prospects for the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the event of a failure in the Artyomovsk area. He called such a scenario very likely, since Ukrainian formations are cut off from supply channels.
Meanwhile, on April 1, an Izvestia source reported that Russian forces had carried out a breakthrough in several places in the center of Artyomovsk. The fighting, according to him, are already close to the administration building.
The day before, an employee of the PMC “Wagner” spoke about the capture of approaches to the southern outskirts of Artemovsk, from which the Armed Forces of Ukraine made fortified areas on the dominant heights. It is noted that the fortifications were erected at heights from which the approaches to the city from the south side are clearly visible, however, despite this, the Russian forces managed to take the fortified areas.
The special operation to protect Donbass, the beginning of which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision to hold it was made against the background of the aggravation of the situation in the region due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.
For more up-to-date videos and details about the situation in Donbass, watch the Izvestia TV channel.
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