Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed on Tuesday that “the intensity of fighting is increasing” around the eastern Ukraine city of Bakhmut, and that Russia is “not counting” the soldiers it is sending into the field.
“The greatest difficulties, as before, are in Bakhmut (…) Russia does not count its men and constantly sends them to attack our positions. The intensity of the fighting only increases”emphasized the Ukrainian head of state during his usual daily evening speech.
Zelensky, reporting on a meeting on the country’s national security, stressed that Ukrainian forces in the north and along the border “have the situation under control”.
“We are preparing the return of our soldiers to active actions for the liberation of our country. We remember our completely honest goal and we are closer to its realization every day”underlined the ruler.
Bakhmut, whose strategic importance is disputed, has become a symbol of the struggle for control of the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine.
In recent weeks, the Russians have been making slow progress in this industrial city, which had a population of about 70,000 before the invasion of Ukraine launched by Moscow a year ago.
The Russians managed to cut off several important routes for supplying troops from Kiev.
The owner of the Wagner group, Yevgeni Prigojine, on Saturday claimed his men’s conquest of the town of Iaguidne, located in northern Bakhmut.
Ukraine’s president said Ukraine will continue to defend Bakhmut, but not at any cost, after acknowledging Monday night that the situation is “tense and difficult” for Ukrainian troops in that region.
Ukraine’s deputy defense minister stressed on Tuesday that Russian forces are outnumbered in the battle of Bakhmut, but that the Ukrainian army inflicts heavy casualties on the enemy and forces ordinary soldiers to come to the aid of Wagner group mercenaries.
“Our soldiers have the capacity to destroy 80% of terrorists”he added, quoted by the agency Efe.
The deputy minister also stressed that Kiev has sent more troops to the city after the recent visit of the commander of the Ukrainian ground forces.
The military offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine on February 24, 2022 has so far led to the flight of more than 14 million people – 6.5 million internally displaced persons and more than eight million to European countries – according to the most recent data from the UN. which classifies this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since World War II (1939-1945).
At the moment, at least 18 million Ukrainians need humanitarian aid and 9.3 million people need food aid and shelter.
The Russian invasion – justified by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, with the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russian security – was condemned by the international community at large, which responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and Russia political and economic sanctions.
The UN presented 8,101 civilian deaths and 13,479 wounded as confirmed since the start of the war, emphasizing that these numbers are far below the real ones.
Source: DN
