Today's D Brief: State of Defense 2023; Scholz to the WH; Counter-ISIS war grinds on; Paris Davis to receive MOH; And a bit more.
Defense OneMAR 31 2023
Russian forces are continuing to capture towns on the outskirts of Bakhmut and progressing with their plans of encircling the city. Its capture is important as it will pave the way to securing the rest of the Donetsk region.
Fierce fighting has already been going on in Bakhmut for months, and even if Russia prevails, it will have lost so many men and so much equipment that the result could hardly be celebrated. A Moscow victory in the region might be a symbolic gain but would provide little strategic benefit in the wider conflict.