美国国家公共电台 NPR--Russia claimed victory in the battle for the strategic Ukrainian city of Bakhmut

Russia claimed victory in the battle for the strategic Ukrainian city of Bakhmut

Transcript¹

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Kateryna Stepanenko of the Institute for the Study of War, about the strategic importance of the Ukrainian city Bakhmut.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

A small city in eastern Ukraine, once home to 70,000 people, is now empty and demolished². Russia claimed victory in Bakhmut a few days ago. It used the private Wagner military force to take territory there in the longest and bloodiest³ battle in the war. The many analysts⁴ following this fight include a native of Ukraine, Kateryna Stepanenko with the Institute for the Study of War. So we called her up to talk.

You know, I should just tell you my hypothesis. My presumption⁵ is that Bakhmut itself is not all that important, but maybe you're going to tell me otherwise. So maybe we should begin the interview right there. What significance, if any, is this particular city other than it's been written about a lot in recent weeks?

KATERYNA STEPANENKO: That's a good question. I mean, I just published a piece about, what was the significance of Bakhmut from the beginning of the war? - and why it had diminished in operational significance by the end of the battle.

INSKEEP: Now my thinking here was that one town or another is really not that important, certainly not as important as who destroys what military force. Stepanenko had her own view.

STEPANENKO: So originally, the battle for Bakhmut was set to be completed in October - right? - so right around the same time that Putin was completing his partial mobilization. And it was something that he needed immediately, but he wasn't able to achieve it. And then the next date was New Year's, right? He needed to achieve some sort of victory anywhere, and he wasn't able to do that. And ultimately, Bakhmut, you know, reached the point where now it's causing a lot more concern, especially within the Russian military correspondents, military bloggers world, where they're worried that Russia will not be able to continue an offensive past Bakhmut because it had culminated⁷.

INSKEEP: I recently read a dispatch in The New Yorker magazine by a correspondent who spent two weeks with a Ukrainian unit on the front lines near the city of Bakhmut. And the overwhelming impression of that article is of people being killed, that the Wagner group had these conscript recruits that they pushed forward like zombies. It was sad. And many, many of them died, but they also killed many, many Ukrainians. The Ukrainian unit in question had only a few veterans left, and the rest of the slots were filled by recent draftees replacing people who had been killed. This seems to have been a place of enormous death.

STEPANENKO: Yes, it is. It is, in fact, true. It's something that - it's an operation that lasted for a year. It exhausted⁸ a lot of Ukrainian troops. It also killed a lot of Ukrainian troops. However, the defense⁹ itself has proven to be strategically important for Ukrainian forces who have likely culminated - Wagner attack in Bakhmut. This all is becoming more evident against the backdrop of Ukrainian-planned counteroffensives and is exposing a major weakness in why the culminated forces are not necessarily a great strategy for Russia in the long term.

INSKEEP: We also hear reports that suggest that Russia is running out of equipment. They're having to draw on older and older Soviet-era supplies of equipment to keep their troops with tanks and artillery¹⁰ and other important things. Is Ukraine receiving weapons and supplies more rapidly than they are destroyed?

STEPANENKO: I wouldn't say so. Russia still has that capacity to draw on old storages, on old supplies and put them on the battlefield. That is something that we are still not overpowering Russia in. However, Ukrainians did signal that they respect a lot more quality over quantity, and they have been very smart in the way that they ration⁶ their HIMARS strikes, for example, their Storm Shadows. So in that sense, the strategy approach here that Russia has is less focused on the long-term impacts on their stockpiles than what Ukrainians have, who have to conserve¹¹ and understand that they have limited stock available to them to fight with.

INSKEEP: Kateryna Stepanenko, thanks so much for your insights. Really appreciate it.

STEPANENKO: Thank you so much, as well.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 demolished   

v.摧毁( demolish的过去式和过去分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光

参考例句：

• The factory is due to be demolished next year. 这个工厂定于明年拆除。
• They have been fighting a rearguard action for two years to stop their house being demolished. 两年来，为了不让拆除他们的房子，他们一直在进行最后的努力。

3 bloodiest   

adj.血污的( bloody的最高级 )；流血的；屠杀的；残忍的

参考例句：

• The Russians were going to suffer their bloodiest defeat of all before Berlin. 俄国人在柏林城下要遭到他们的最惨重的失败。 来自辞典例句
• It was perhaps the bloodiest hour in the history of warfare. 这也许是战争史上血腥味最浓的1个小时。 来自互联网

4 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

5 presumption   

n.推测，可能性，冒昧，放肆，[法律]推定

参考例句：

• Please pardon my presumption in writing to you.请原谅我很冒昧地写信给你。
• I don't think that's a false presumption.我认为那并不是错误的推测。

6 ration   

n.定量(pl.)给养，口粮；vt.定量供应

参考例句：

• The country cut the bread ration last year.那个国家去年削减面包配给量。
• We have to ration the water.我们必须限量用水。

7 culminated   

v.达到极点( culminate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• a gun battle which culminated in the death of two police officers 一场造成两名警察死亡的枪战
• The gala culminated in a firework display. 晚会以大放烟火告终。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

9 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

10 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

11 conserve   

vt.保存，保护，节约，节省，守恒，不灭

参考例句：

• He writes on both sides of the sheet to conserve paper.他在纸张的两面都写字以节省用纸。
• Conserve your energy,you'll need it!保存你的精力，你会用得着的！