Russia’s war on Ukraine: Zelenskyj wants to fight for Bakhmut

Ukrainian President Zelensky has made it clear that the country’s armed forces will not withdraw from Bakmut. Instead, they will be increased. This decision was taken unanimously.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed the unity of the military leadership in Kiev in the battle for the city of Bakhmut in the east of the country.

After the meeting with the generals, Zelensky said in his nightly video message that the decision was not unanimous, but rather to reinforce the troops.

“Ukrainian armed forces are protecting every part of Ukraine and will continue to do so,” Zelensky said. The time will come when every town and village of the Ukrainian state will be liberated.

Zelensky sought to counter the impression that Ukraine’s leadership had differing views on further military action in Pakmut. There is a lot of misinformation, he said. Western experts have said it would be better to abandon the iconic city to use resources elsewhere.

Zelenskyj condemns the shooting of a prisoner of war

In his speech, Zelensky also condemned the shooting of a Ukrainian prisoner of war by Russian soldiers. “A video of the brutal killing of a soldier who dared to utter the words ‘Glory to Ukraine’ has emerged today,” the president said. He promised that the perpetrators would be found and punished. The identity of the Ukrainian soldier was not known until evening.

According to Ukrainian sources, only a few thousand of the more than 70,000 residents still live there, which has been contested since late summer. The city is an important part of the defense line between Siversk and Pakhmut in the Donetsk Oblast, established after the Russian conquest of Siverodonetsk and Lysizansk. If the city falls, Russian troops will gain access to the main cities of Slovensk and Kramatorsk. With this, the complete victory of the Donetsk region is approaching.