CHAPTER 648: CHAPTER 312: THE VALUE OF BAKHMUT

However.

Even if the prayers work out, it wouldn’t make a difference.

Because after this round of shelling, the freshly reassembled troops faced yet another barrage.

This tenacious unit ultimately could not escape the devastating firepower of the Russian Federation.

In this meat grinder of a battlefield, there are hardly any good solutions.

The other federations also started the battle at Bakhmut, but none of the forces managed to endure until the end.

As they fought, the men gradually vanished.

The intensity of the battle was so fierce, it was hard to distinguish whether the opposing forces were from the Six Major Federations of Blue Star or the native NPC troops of Earth.

Because at the most intense moments.

A company of soldiers could be wiped out in less than half a day.

And within this half-day.

There wasn’t even time to analyze the situation on the other side.

Before one could finish analyzing, they were already dead...

At this moment.

The military command of the major federations and their subordinate brigades were analyzing the battle at Bakhmut.

The Great Xia Federation.

Detailed information and comprehensive data on the Bakhmut battle had already been delivered to the military of the Great Xia Federation.

And the military, after organizing the data, distributed it to various units, allowing them to study it, and provided detailed rendering data. They could simulate and enter the Bakhmut battle at any point in time for training.

The Seventh Special Operations Brigade of the Great Xia Federation.

Inside the conference room.

Brigadier General Shen Yan and Chief of Staff Qu Guang had been reviewing the detailed materials on the Bakhmut battle for half a day, and the officers sitting below the projected map were watching with grave expressions, whispering among themselves.

Gathered here.

Primarily to analyze based on orders from the Great Xia Federation.

The Battalion Commander of the Special First Battalion, Liu Feng, was discussing with several company commanders, and Company Commander Fang Hui of the first company frowned:

"Something’s not right."

"By the later stages of the Bakhmut battle, it had lost its strategic value."

"Why are both sides still locked in a fierce fight here?"

Upon hearing this.

The others looked at the data, puzzled as well.

Because, by the end, it had turned into a pure war of attrition.

Even worse than those during World War II.

Initially, this place was indeed a critical transportation hub. Although Bakhmut was a small city, it was the transit hub leading to the Donbas Region.

Several highways and railways intersected here for transfer.

It can be said that this was a vital logistics supply line for the Eastern Front of the Ukraine Federation.

Because many supplies needed to be transferred through here.

And for the Russian Federation, Bakhmut was a breakthrough point in the Donbas Region’s defenses. Once breached, several key positions in the Ukraine Federation’s rear could be directly reached via highways and railways.

As a result.

The Ukraine Federation could lose significant mobility in parts of the Eastern Front.

So at the beginning of the battle.

Neither side easily gave up, but continued to pour in troops.

And by the later stages, over 6 million shells were fired within 10 months, equivalent to dropping several dozen World War II-era atomic bombs in TNT, repeatedly bombing some buildings.

Bakhmut’s Central Station was leveled by a thermobaric bomb.

Even so.

The now useless station.

The Russian Federation and Ukraine Federation continued to fight over it stubbornly.

Liu Feng looked puzzled himself but managed to sense something, and while reviewing the data, he said:

"Perhaps neither side wants to lose?"

Liu Feng remarked, clicking on the projection of Bakhmut.

A scene under the ruins zoomed in before their eyes.

Beneath the building, where several rotting corpses of soldiers lay, many leaflets were scattered.

Liu Feng zoomed in on them.

One stack of leaflets was clearly legible, advocating for a stand to the end.

This...

The group looked at each other.

At this moment.

Qu Guang suddenly said:

"That’s just one aspect."

"Bakhmut itself is not that important, but it has become a stage for politicians."

The others heard and were somewhat puzzled.

A stage?

What kind of stage?

Qu Guang’s expression was grave as he explained:

"At the start of the war."

"Bakhmut was indeed a tactical hub and strategic location."

"But with both sides pouring in troops."

"It became a stage for propaganda first, transforming into not just a tactical hub or strategic location, but a symbol of the ’spirit of resistance’ the entire world is watching."

"For the Ukraine Federation’s populace, this is their ’unyielding fortress’."

"For the Russian Federation’s populace, it’s a ’badge of military honor’ that must be won."

"But that’s only for the people."

"For the Ukrainian Federation’s top echelons, Bakhmut is a tool to prove their resolve to the United States camp, in exchange for more support."

"For the Russian Federation’s top echelons, after successive setbacks in the second half of 2022, a decisive victory to boost morale was urgently needed, and Bakhmut, where the Ukraine Federation was demonstrating resolve to the United States, was the best location for such a victory.

"Securing victory here would not only boost the Russian Federation’s morale."

"It would also mean overtaking the place where massive propaganda resources were invested by both sides, completely destroying the Ukraine Federation’s public ’spiritual fortress’."

"So, neither side can retreat."

Gasp—

Upon hearing this,

The officers from the Seventh Special Operations Brigade widened their eyes.

Obviously.

They hadn’t considered this aspect.

Analyzing the battle situation was one thing, but who would have thought there were such deep implications hidden within.

It’s both a spiritual fortress for the people and a tool for the upper echelons to demonstrate their resolve. This... is too dark. Even for an NPC scenario, it seemed preposterous. They had no doubt that if they entered the game and chose a politician identity.