Ukraine Reinforcements Head to Bakhmut in Fight ‘Against All Odds’.
Additional units will be transferred to help defend the embattled city of Bakhmut, which Ukraine’s forces have been holding “against all odds” amid continued attacks from Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
In his Sunday address, Zelensky said that Ukrainian troops “repel constant attempts” at a Russian offensive in Bakhmut, even though “most of the city” has been destroyed. The nearby city of Soledar has faced even more destruction but is holding out as well despite the difficulties, Zelensky said.
“There is no such piece of land near these two cities, where the occupier would not have given his life for the crazy ideas of the masters of the Russian regime,” Zelensky said. “This is one of the bloodiest places on the frontline.”
He added that Ukrainian Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi visited troops defending Bakhmut and Soledar on Sunday and “awarded the warriors for their resilience.”
“On the spot, he organized the steps necessary to strengthen our defense. In particular, transfer of additional units. And intensification of fire on the invaders,” Zelensky said.
It was not clear exactly how many additional Ukrainian units would be transferred to help defend Bakhmut and when they would arrive.
Russia has been conducting a monthslong effort to capture Bakhmut, located in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, despite fierce resistance from Ukraine. Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Russian mercenary Wagner Group that has been playing a key role in the offensive, admitted in an interview published last week that progress in their attempts to capture Bakhmut has been slow and grinding due to stacked lines of Ukrainian defense.
Russia’s dedication to seizing Bakhmut, despite a reportedly heavy toll on its personnel and already-limited supplies, has been scrutinized by experts. Some have assessed that Russia has little or nothing to gain tactically from capturing the city, but it could be a symbolic win for Russian President Vladimir Putin in light of recent setbacks for his army.
But Prigozhin might be eyeing more than just a morale boost in potentially seizing Bakhmut. A White House official cited by Reuters last week reportedly said that the U.S. believes the Wagner chief wants to take control of salt and gypsum mines near Bakhmut, indicating that there might be a financial factor in the continued drive to capture the city.
Additionally, Prigozhin said on his Telegram channel on Saturday that he wants control of the Bakhmut and Soledar system of mines, describing them as “underground cities” that can be used to house and move large numbers of tanks and personnel.
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