Victory in Bakhmut lead to further advances, says Sergei Shoigu

• Taking Bakhmut will enable Russian soldiers to march farther into Ukraine, said Shoigu.
• Shoigu’s account of what happened in Bakhmut differs from that of US and NATO officials.
• He claimed that several of the settlements near Bakhmut had already been taken.

Taking Bakhmut will enable Russian soldiers to march farther into Ukraine, according to Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defense minister.

“This city is an important defense hub of Ukrainian troops in the Donbas,” said Shoigu at a military conference in Moscow.

“Taking it under control will allow further offensive actions deep into the defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”

He claimed that several of the settlements near Bakhmut had already been taken.

Moreover, Shoigu asserted that the United States has a plan to “break Russia by force of arms.”

“Western countries are increasing the supply of weapons and military equipment to Ukraine, expanding training programs for the personnel of the Ukrainian army,” he said.

Nonetheless, he claimed that such support was failing to help the Ukrainian military win.

“On the contrary, there is a significant increase in losses among the personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” said Shoigu.

“In February alone, they increased by more than 40% compared to January and amounted to more than 11,000 troops.” It is not possible to verify the figures given by Shoigu.

Shoigu’s account of what happened in Bakhmut differs from that of US and NATO officials.

On Monday, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that should Russian forces take Bakhmut, it wouldn’t constitute “an operational or strategic setback” for the Ukrainian military.

The city holds “more of a symbolic value,” added Austin.

Also, according to NATO intelligence estimates, Russian forces have suffered at least five losses for every Ukrainian soldier killed defending Bakhmut, a NATO official told media on Monday.

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