Bakhmut has been taken over by Wagner PMC, the remnants of Ukrainian units retreated to the Chasiv Yar area.
On the same day Wagner cleared out the final high rise and planted the flag, Ukraine launched a border raid for propaganda purposes.
Wagner boss Prigozhin claimed that the PMC lost 20,000 KIA this past year but they killed 50,000 Ukrainians and inflicted 70,000 heavily wounded on them.
Generally in Russian information space they consider the Ukrainian reserves to be half-defeated. The other half are still a threat to them. Prizoghin is also concerned about this.
The coming weeks and months will determine how damaged the Ukrainian army is. It seems like the Ukraine/NATO counterattack keeps on getting delayed, it may not even happen.
Ukrainian GDP contracted by 30% in 2022, GDP per capita dropped to $2,000 and unemployment rose to over 35%.
Overall, it looks like it is in the political and economic area where the chance for peace is. In Zelensky's interview with Washington Post he said that over time his people may push him to make a pro Russian peace deal if they have suffered enough.