Military analyst, former platoon commander of the "Aidar" battalion Yevhen Dyky said that Russia will not be able to capture the large cities of the Donetsk region - Kramatorsk and Slovyansk - until March. 

He said this in a comment on the FREEDOM TV channel. 

The military noted that Russia stormed Bakhmut head-on for several months, but the occupiers failed to capture the city.

Then the invaders concentrated on Soledar and after a month and a half of heavy fighting they still occupied this settlement.

The goal of the Russian occupation army is to capture Donetsk region by March 2023, but they will not succeed. 

Yevhen Dykiy noted that Bakhmut is served by two roads, after the Russian army took Soledar, one of the roads was under threat.

If the Russians break through Klishchiivka to the second route, then the ZSU will probably be forced to leave Bakhmut.

However, the Russians will not be able to capture other large cities of Donetsk region quickly. 

"If we take into account that they have been taking Bakhmut since September, that is, the sixth month has already passed and they have not taken it yet, then at such rates and with such forces they will have to take the agglomeration of Sloviansk - Kramatorsk - Kostiantynivka for the next one and a half to two years. That is, about the exit to the border Donbas is not discussed by any side at the end of March," Yevhen Dykiy stressed. 

Battles for Bakhmut 

Battles for Bakhmut are among the bloodiest on the front line.

The Russian authorities throw their occupying army and mercenaries from the "Wagner" PMC to capture the Ukrainian city.

Later, the Russians turned their attention to the town of Soledar.

The terrorists managed to capture him after a month and a half of fierce fighting.

This settlement was practically wiped off the face of the earth by the occupiers. 

The ex-commander of the "Azov" regiment Maksym Zhorin said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine did not lose as many personnel in any of the major counter-offensives as the Russians are currently losing in Donbas.

Read also:

  • "A carpet of them lies in front of our positions": a wounded fighter from the Bakhmut region told about the battles with the Russians

  • "Wagner's" exhausted at Bakhmut: ISW found out who the Russians threw to strengthen the offensive

  • "There is nothing good in this": the ex-commander of "Azov" - about the consequences of the retreat from Soledar