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USA TodayMAR 17 2023
Russian success in the Donetsk city of Bakhmut would only be symbolically important. It would not have a strategic or operational impact on the war, and would by no means mean Russia had turned the tide of the conflict.
Russia's capture of Bakhmut is strategically important as it has long been the logistics hub for Ukraine's forces in the rest of Donetsk. Its capture would also open up further roads of potential Russian advance in the region.