Ukraine decided this Monday keep the defense of the city of Bakhmut, in the eastern region of Donetsk, and to send further reinforcements, despite the risk that Wagner’s mercenaries, the spearhead of the Russian forces in the east of the country, will be able to lift the siege around the city.
The President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelensky, met with the General Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief on Monday to discuss the situation at the front, which was “in favor of continuing the defensive operation and further strengthening our positions in Bakhmut”, informed the Ukrainian presidency.
Keep Bakhmut in spite of everything
This opinion was expressed by the Commander of the Ground Army of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny, who also discussed the supplies of arms and war material to the front.
The decision to maintain Bakhmut’s defense comes hours after German newspaper Bild said Zaluzhny and Zelensky were in dispute over the matter.
The first would have been in favor of a withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the city for several weeks, which tIt has more symbolic than strategic value and in whose battle both Ukraine and Russia suffer heavy losses, although the attacker is seven times more, according to Kiev.
Bakhmut’s carnage
The Ukrainian outlet The Kyiv Independent has compiled the testimonies of more than a dozen Ukrainian soldiers who describe the battle for Bakhmut as “a butcher shop”.
The Ukrainian military told the outlet that poorly trained and unprepared battalions were thrown into the front lines “to survive as best they could” with little support from armour, mortars, artillery, drones and tactical intelligence.
Zelensky acknowledged the difficult situation his army is going through in Bakhmut, a communications hub, whose control would allow the Russians to advance towards Sloviansk and Kramators, the main Ukrainian strongholds in Donetsk, a place they want to keep, even if not at any price.
Prevent the siege of the city
To encourage the troops, Syrskyi visited the city for the second time in three days the day before.
He said that “the soldiers are courageously defending their positions north of Bakhmut in an attempt to prevent the siege of the city”, while admitting that “the fighting has reached its maximum intensity”.
Russian forces, led by Wagner’s mercenaries, have advanced in recent weeks towards their goal of completely encircling Bakhmut from the north, east and south.
According to Russia, Ukrainian troops were defending the city they have only one path left to receive supplies.
According to British military intelligence, the destruction of two bridges the main access routes to the city made the situation for the Ukrainian forces even more difficult.
However, the spokesman of the Eastern Military Command, Serhiy Cherevaty, assured that the Army still has “various ways” of supply.
“The Defense Forces hold the defense in Bakhmut, there is an opportunity to deliver ammunition, supplies, medicines and get the wounded out of there,” he stressed.
Wagner denounces lack of supply
Meanwhile, Wagner’s boss, Yevgueni Prigozin, has again denounced the lack of ammunition at the front for his mercenaries, and warned that if his forces withdraw from Bakhmut”the whole front will collapse” and can reach “to the borders of Russia and possibly beyond”.
He indicated that his men are still not receiving the promised munitions from the Russian Defense Ministry.
“Concerning the ammunition: the documents were signed in the afternoon of February 22, the shipping orders were issued on February 23”, but most of the equipment hasn’t arrived yet ahead, he said on Telegram.
Prigozhin indicated that he is trying to find out the cause of this delay, if it is “simple bureaucracy or treason”.
He also said his representative was denied access to the headquarters of the group of Russian troops in Ukraine on Monday after urgently requesting ammunition.
Despite everything, he stressed that his mercenaries continue to “crush the Ukrainian armed forces near Bakhmut”.
The US Institute for the Study of War (ISW) warned on Monday that “Russian forces are unlikely to quickly secure significant territorial gains during urban fighting in Bakhmut.”
EFE extension
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.