Chris

Ukraine’s high command still seems to think the gains are worth the losses. It’s a dreadful calculation to have to make but unavoidable in the circumstances. It’s also worth noting that Russia isn’t just losing people in Bakhmut, however poorly trained - it is losing equipment, lots of it. This is not so easily replaced as touring prisons or press-ganging peasants from the far east. However, on the human calculation, even Russia can’t quickly replace 5,000 killed or seriously wounded per week, every week for months on end. Their last desperate tactic has been to use human waves to overwhelm Ukraine’s defences and this hasn’t worked, even though they have been throwing their people into the meat grinder far faster than they can replace them.