Russia wants to occupy Bakhmut by 9 May - media
AIR FORCE
In one scenario, Russia could declare the end of the war after occupying Bakhmut.
This was reported by the RBK-Ukraine news agency, citing its sources.
According to the journalists, one of the options for Russia is to occupy Bakhmut before 9 May. After that, allegedly Russian dictator Vladimir Putin may announce the end of the war. They say the Ukrainian army has been defeated and all the goals of the war have been achieved.
Experts say that having captured Bakhmut, Russia will not be able to physically continue the offensive. Russia may try to fix the captured territories in this way.
If Moscow declares that the war is over, the West may start demanding that Ukraine negotiate instead of launching a counter-offensive.