The Battle for Bakhmut was a successful campaign against Wagner’s mercenaries, a powerful Russian-backed militia which had been active in the Donbas region of Ukraine. In the summer of 2019, Ukrainian forces successfully routed Wagner’s forces from the city of Bakhmut and surrounding areas, weakening the militia’s power in the region.
The Ukrainian military was able to cut Wagner’s leader, Dmitry Utkin, down to size. Utkin had been a powerful figure in the Donbas region, but with the loss of Bakhmut, his influence in the region was significantly weakened. Utkin has since been replaced as the leader of Wagner’s forces in the Donbas region, and the militia is no longer as influential as it once was.
The Battle for Bakhmut also demonstrated the effectiveness of Ukraine’s military forces. Despite being out-manned and out-gunned, the Ukrainian army was able to successfully defeat Wagner’s mercenaries and drive them out of the city. This was a major victory for Ukraine and a significant setback for the Russian-backed forces.