Bakhmut Update: 05/19/2023
The entire Bakhmut Citadel area has fallen to the Russians, and the Children's Hospital area also has been taken. The last remaining part is a small corner close to the Ukrainian flank operation facing Ivanjske. This area straddles an important roadway.
At this stage I don't see much point for the Ukrainians continuing other than to evacuate any troops remaining.
There is no information yet on casualties.
Most of the city is utterly destroyed.
Probably the Russians will claim the entire city by the weekend.
Meanwhile Ukraine is keeping up its flank operations (north and south of Bakhmut) and the Russian army so far is not doing much about these operations. It appears the Russians now see this as diversionary.
Ukrainian propaganda is saluting the successes on the flanks and has nothing to say at all about what has happened in the city proper. This is not surprising, as they expect their line to be broadcast to the world, hiding what is really happening.
The impact on Zelensky is yet to come. He is heading out to attend the G-7 in Japan, probably to avoid repercussions at home. The official reason for his trip, to seek armaments, seems a fool's errand.
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