EXPLAINED: Why the ‘Bakhmut Triangle’ Is the ‘Most Mysterious Place in Ukraine’

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense continues to cement its position as the cheekiest defense ministry in the world, after mocking Russia for losing yet another aircraft in the skies over Ukraine.

What did they lose this time?

According to reports, a Su-24 tactical bomber was downed near Bakhmut on Wednesday, March 15.

A video of the incident shared on Telegram by Andriy Yermak, the head of the president’s office, shows the moment of the explosion and what appears to be the pilot ejecting from the doomed aircraft.

What’s the “Bakhmut Triangle” thing about?

In a reference to the legendary Bermuda Triangle, where planes have been mysteriously disappearing for decades, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense tweeted its own video of the incident.

In it, the clip of the explosion follows its own footage of an air traffic control-style tracking of the Russian plane flying over the Bakhmut area before disappearing from the screen.

The video is captioned: “The most mysterious place in Ukraine is the Bakhmut triangle, where russian (sic) planes have been disappearing for a year now...”

How many aircraft has Russia lost in the “Bakhmut Triangle”?

While it’s difficult to say how many have gone missing in this particular – and let’s face it, fictional – area of Ukraine, according to the weapons-tracking site Oryx, Russia has lost a total of 352 aircraft since the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine.

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This includes any aircraft, helicopters or unmanned aerial vehicles that have been destroyed, damaged or captured in the war.

What’s the situation on the ground in Bakhmut?

It continues to be the scene of the fiercest fighting of the war, although recent reports suggest the pace of Russian attacks has decreased over the last week.

According to the Institute for the Study of War: “Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin has recently emphasized the toll that a reported lack of ammunition is having on Wagner’s ability to pursue offensives on Bakhmut and stated on March 15 that due to ammunition shortages and heavy fighting Wagner has had to expand its encirclement of Bakhmut.”

Kyiv Post recently visited the area and soldiers at fighting positions and villages west of the battleground city said on March 11 and 12 that they are confident and will stop the Russian attacks.