He shored up Russian forces at their most vulnerable and drew Ukraine into a costly fight for Bakhmut, giving Moscow time to build defenses that are slowing Ukraine’s counteroffensive.
The Kerch Strait Bridge is a critical strategic asset that allows Moscow to move troops and equipment from Russia to Crimea and from there to the front lines in Ukraine.
Journalists from The Times spent two weeks with troops from brigades trained and supplied by NATO to get their take on how, and where, the counteroffensive is going.