Was Bakhmut worth it? — Reaction to Michael Kofman

Did Ukraine undermine their own counteroffensive by fighting stubbornly in Bakhmut? Michael Kofman has been making this argument, but I think he misses some important nuances.

0:00 Intro
0:34 Who is Michael Kofman?
1:10 The Battle for Bakhmut
1:42 Kofman's argument
1:58 Unfavorable attrition
2:52 Russia was running out of steam
3:16 Undermined preparations for counteroffensive
3:52 Problems with Kofman's argument
4:11 Timeline for convicts
5:09 Russia was attacking everywhere
5:40 Ukraine eliminated Wagner
7:21 Academic competition

Link to the mentioned podcast:
ZOOMING OUT ON UKRAINE’S OFFENSIVE, Michael Kofman and Ryan Evans, War on the Rocks, 3 August 2023,
https://warontherocks.com/2023/08/zoo...