Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that the country’s top generals were committed to defending the eastern city of Bakhmut despite Russian forces fighting to tighten the siege and secure their first major battlefield gain in over six months.
For months, Russian forces have been trying to capture Bakhmut, seeing it as a stepping stone toward their ultimate goal of taking over the entire surrounding Donbas region.
It appears that the Ukrainians have not decided to withdraw from the city, despite the fact that they have been fortifying their positions to the west of the city in anticipation of a possible withdrawal.
On Monday, the commander of the Russian Wagner mercenary force, which has been leading the Bakhmut assault, requested more ammunition and the regular army.
Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin’s appeal highlights the growing tension between him and the Russian defense ministry, which he accuses of deliberately withholding ammunition from his troops.
