Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Sunday night that Kiev forces are fighting a painful and difficult battle in the Donbass, which includes the city of Bakhmut.
Zelinsky said in his daily speech that he was proud of the courage and steadfastness of the soldiers fighting at Bakhmut, adding that this is one of the toughest battles.
In exclusive statements to Agency, Yuri Sak, an adviser to the Ukrainian defense minister, hinted at the possibility of Ukraine’s withdrawal from Bakhmut if military leaders believe that there is no strategic importance behind the battle.
As for Bakhmut’s deputy mayor, Alexander Marchenko, he said that Russian forces are carrying out operations of mass destruction in the city.
He explained that the intensity of the fighting has caused a significant slowdown in the evacuation of civilians from prime front lines in Bakhmut.
Marchenko also stressed that the Russian military does not aim to take advantage of the city after taking control of it, but its only goal is to tear it apart.
The city of Bakhmut is still disobedient to Wagner’s mercenaries, despite the fact that it is surrounded on 3 sides, and fighting has been raging in its vicinity for 7 months.
In the latest field developments, Wagner has managed to advance into the northern suburbs of the city, where he is currently encircling it from the east, north and south sides, but has so far failed to prate the western axis.
The battles have displaced the population of the city, which was home to 70,000 before the war started, and now there are only 4,000 civilians left who are currently living in shelters in difficult conditions.
The violent battles in course caused extensive damage to the city’s buildings, infrastructure, water, electricity and gasworks.
