With Ukrainian demolitions under way, the fall of Artemovsk (Bakhmut) is now imminent.

Preamble

After months of war, the city of Artemovsk (covered in this article) is about to fall into Russian hands. This shorter article will look not just at the city, but what the consequences of Russia taking this town will mean.

Show Pony

The town of Artemovsk has been to date the most pivotal battle in Russia’s Special Military Operation in the Ukraine, yet in all honesty, it has from a Western perspective been a showpiece of Ukrainian resistance to Russian advances. It may have been given top billing in the West, yet for all headlines, it has been a nightmare for normal Ukrainian foot soldiers.

Shrewd Scheme

One would have thought that a nation with Russia’s might could take a town such as this in days, yet the West has gone to great pains show that it has not. A previous article pointed out that:

‘As mentioned, the battle for Artemovsk has cost Kiev dear due to this arena being as favorable as it is to both the Russian armed forces as well as the Wagner PMC. Had Moscow wanted to take the town, this could have been achieved months ago, but with this being an opportunity to reduce the Ukrainians on ground far more advantageous than elsewhere, dragging out this battle and therefore reducing Kiev’s future ability to fight may in reality shorten the war as a whole.’

Russian forces may have been battling in this region for months, yet they have been using circumstances to their advantage, the hard going in Artemovsk for Kiev meaning the struggle that lies ahead for Russia will be all the easier.

Retracting the Reports

Russia’s walking the walk into Artemovsk means that months of the Ukrainians and Western media talking the talk will now be a huge backtrack for all those who have been championing Kiev’s defense of the town. At a time when there is increasing pressure in the US to reduce the assistance that the Ukraine is receiving, the loss of Artemovsk is a blow to both the Ukrainian military and government. Moreover, not only is the loss of the town a defeat for Kiev, it is a triumph for Moscow. After all the collective West has done to help the Ukraine as well as stymie Russia, a victory such as this proves that Russia has defied the best efforts of Western governments.

Grave Issues

It will not be until Russia has fully taken control of the town that the full extent of casualties will be known. Doubtlessly Kiev and the West will decry any statement made by Moscow, but the scale of carnage will make Azovstal pale in comparison. A number of casualty figures have been bandied around, yet with Zelenskiy and his inner circle not wanting to tell the truth and the Russians not yet having conclusive evidence regarding the cost in lives, the totally tally of losses may not be known for weeks. Of one thing however, we can be sure. And that is that this will by far be not only the most painful loss that the Ukrainians have yet suffered, but one that will demonstrate the manner in which the Ukrainian government has thrown thousands of lives away in an operation that was doomed from the outset to eventually fail. The consequences of this will in time come to have wide-ranging effects on a range of domestic issues.

Fighting the Families

With the fighting in Artemovsk having caused the losses it has and Kiev being as allergic as it is to the truth, innumerable families are now bringing pressure to bear upon their government regarding the fate of their loved ones. Not only that, the increasingly bestial tactics used to quite literally kidnap people off the streets in order to recruit them into the armed forces is also irking the population. After losing so much in war, domestic issues are going to be of ever more importance to Zelenskiy as an exit from Artemovsk sees Russia entering elsewhere.

Limiting Losses

The Ukraine was in a dire state even before Maidan, corruption and state robbery being de facto normalized after independence. Seven years of Western interference and a war have only served to make an already terrible situation even worse. With that, many people in areas that may be taken from Kiev’s rule face a stark choice. Either they up sticks and head westwards if they wish to remain in the country or stay where they are and reap the long-term benefits of being under Moscow’s control once the Russians arrive.

Twisting the Tale

Against this incredibly complicated backdrop, it is evident that Kiev and its sponsors will attempt to control the fallout from their failure. All mention of this being a bastion of Ukrainian defense will disappear, it being portrayed as tactics by Kiev rather than triumph by Russia. Nevertheless, it will be used by Zelenskiy in his perpetual campaigning for handouts as well as by those in the West who seek to further aid the Ukrainian cause.

Moving Military Means

Just as with the Russian withdrawal from Kherson, once Artemovsk no longer figures as part of the Ukrainian defense, although most resources will be abandoned in the town, Kiev will be able to move anyone who has survived elsewhere. Quite how the fallback plan will evolve is thus far unknown, yet the small number of escapees will undoubtedly be urgently deployed to other parts of the front. With the retreats from Artemovsk and Kherson being as different as they are however, the leverage that this gives to the Ukrainian High Command in future operations will be immeasurably less than was enjoyed by the Russians.

Summary

Look at it any way you like, but Artemovsk is to a very great degree the Alamo for the Ukrainians. The defense of the town has become an icon of the war, both in and out of the country, yet after so much time, effort, resources and lives have been lost in the defense of the town, not only does it put the entire Ukrainian defensive strategy on the back foot, a subsequent lack of resources will mean Kiev has ever-less room for maneuver as it plans ahead.

A small town became a symbol as it rose to fame as a result of this war, yet its fall will result in the rise of Russia both as a regional and world player. If nothing else, this regional war has proven that the West no longer rules the world as it once did…