Putin's Gamble: Why Russia Spent So Much on Bakhmut

The Battle of Bakhmut has become a puzzle for Western analysts: why has Russia spent so much on a city so apparently irrelevant? This video examines the possibility of Putin's domestic constraints. If Putin believes that the status quo will leave his tenure in doubt, then he needs to press forward to maximize the chances he survives in office. Thus, he is willing to continue fighting in places where an objective leader might not. Bakhmut has become the target in particular because the alternative places to mount an offensive are even less attractive.