KiigelHeart said:
Maybe it's because Wagner suffered such heavy losses they'd likely lose Bakhmut too. By withdrawing he can blame MoD for fucking up. But who knows if they even leave. |
Could be, no doubt Wagner suffered a lot of casualties.
But the thing with Wagner is they aren't a defensive force and never have been, they're the "takers" and it's all they know how to do, shock and awe, endless waves of suicidal bodies and leaving a path of destruction until they take their objective. So I'd be surprised if Wagner employs a defensive position in Bakhmut and stays unless they have plans on trying to move beyond Bakhmut.
Prigozhin will have a win either way...
If Wagner stays but loses Bakhmut he will blame Shoigu for not supplying them enough, Wagner did their job at taking Bakhmut but Russia didn't support their flanks (the flanks appear to be mostly Russian soldiers).
If Wagner leaves and Russia leaves it then well, easy to blame Shoigu for that one too.
In the end, Prigozhin has his political win (the man who took Bakhmut) and he also gets paid for taking Bakhmut which is all he cared about.
| S.Peelman said: The funny thing is that on that map, besides there blatantly a Ukraine being there, northwest Russia, including where's now St. Petersburg, would be Swedish. |
I support Swedish rightful claim to Northwest Russia, we all know that Sweden only "accidentally" lost it after all! 
