Ukrainian forces have continued to defend the besieged city of Bakhmut, as the head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary force said the position of his troops could be in peril because of their lack of ammunition.
The battle for Bakhmut, which is still under Kyiv’s control, has raged for seven months, with thousands of people killed and hundreds of buildings collapsed or charred. The few remaining civilians have been confined to basements for months with no running water, electricity or gas.
In spite of the rumours of an imminent retreat of his troops, Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s office said on Monday that Ukrainian generals had supported continuing Bakhmut’s defence.
After a series of meetings with Zelenskiy, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, “spoke in favour of continuing the defensive operation and further strengthening [Ukrainian] positions in Bakhmut,” Zelenskiy’s office said.
Intense street fighting has continued in and around the eastern Ukrainian city, with Kyiv and Moscow struggling with mounting casualties and ammunition shortages. Volodymyr Nazarenko, a senior Ukrainian commander, described the situation in the city as “hell” in an interview with Ukraine’s Kyiv24 on Sunday, but said Ukraine had stabilised the frontline and that Russian forces were still on the outskirts.
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