Ukraine war: Bakhmut defenders redouble their efforts

• Western analysts speculated over the weekend that Ukraine was likely withdrawing some of its troops.
• The head of the Wagner private army has complained about a lack of ammunition
• Moscow has been attempting to take Bakhmut for months.

Ukraine President Ukraine has stated that operations to defend the besieged eastern city of Bakhmut will continue and will be supported by senior generals.

As Russian forces close in on the city, Western analysts speculated over the weekend that Ukraine was likely withdrawing some of its troops.

Moscow has been attempting to take Bakhmut for months, despite heavy losses on both sides in a grinding war of attrition

According to a local official, there has been street fighting in recent days.

But, according to Deputy Mayor Oleksandr Marchenko, Russia has not yet taken control of the city.

Meanwhile, the head of the Wagner private army involved in the Russian campaign, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has complained about a lack of ammunition amid apparent friction between his fighters and regular Russian forces.

He also claims that his representative was barred from entering a Russian military headquarters.

According to analysts, Bakhmut has little strategic value but has become a focal point for Russian commanders who have struggled to bring positive news to the Kremlin.

Capturing the city would bring Russia one step closer to gaining control of the entire Donetsk region, one of four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine that Russia annexed last September after sham referendums widely condemned outside Russia.

In his evening address, Mr Zelensky stated that he had discussed Bakhmut with senior generals.

“[They] responded not to withdraw, but to strengthen [our defences],” he said.

“The command unanimously supported this position. There were no other positions. I told the commander in chief to find the appropriate forces to help our guys in Bakhmut.”

The remarks came after the German newspaper Bild reported, citing Ukrainian government sources, that armed forces commander Valery Zaluzhny had disagreed with Mr Zelensky about the operation several weeks ago, recommending a withdrawal from the city.

According to the paper, the majority of defenders agreed with Gen Zaluzhny.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US-based think tank, said over the weekend that Ukrainian troops were likely conducting a “limited fighting withdrawal” while “continuing to inflict high casualties” on the Russians.

he fighting in Bakhmut had reached the “highest level of tension,” according to ground forces commander Olexandr Syrsky, who was quoted in the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper on Sunday during a visit to the front line.

“The enemy has been throwing extra Wagner forces into the battle,” he said. “Our troops have been courageously defending our positions in the north of Bakhmut, trying to prevent the encirclement of the city.”

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