Russian forces may focus on seizing Siversk and Bakhmut - ISW

“Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu’s July 18 meeting with the commander of the Eastern group of forces Lieutenant General Rustam Muradov supports ISW’s assessment that Moscow will not prioritize an attack to seize Slovyansk in this stage of the operation but will instead focus on seizing Siversk and Bakhmut,” reads the report published on the ISW's website on July 18.

It is noted that Russia desperately needs manpower for military operations in Ukraine, but Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to avoid conducting a general mobilization of ethnic Russians.

“Russian President Vladimir Putin’s likely effort to shield ethnic Russians from high levels of mobilization may trigger resistance in some of the ethnic enclaves that seem to be disproportionately bearing the burden of war,” the report reads.

In particular, ISW noted the prevalence of non-ethnic Russian battalions fighting in Ukraine, which include troops from Chechnya, South Ossetia,.