Insights into Russian Military Inexperience and Mercenary Withdrawals in Ukraine
Ukrainian soldiers in Bakhmut are hopeful that regular Russian troops will replace Wagner Group forces, as they are easier to fight due to their youth and inexperience. Wagner troops use "unorthodox strategies" that make them difficult to predict. Russian forces claimed victory over Bakhmut earlier this month, but most Ukrainian forces are located on the city's outskirts, with a potential plan for "semi-encirclement" of Bakhmut and even retaking the city after the Wagner withdrawal.