Ukrainian troops resist in Bakhmut aware of the importance of “buying time”

Ukrainian troops maintain their resistance in Bakhmut, before the push of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, which assures that his fighters are already very close from the administrative center of the city. This was stated at least by the leader of the mercenary army himself, Yevgeny Prigozhinin a video that was released this Saturday in which he once again recalled the importance for his group of receiving ammunition from the Russian high command.

Al oeste de Bajmut, en Chasiv Yar, Ukrainian army fires M777 howitzers in response to constant Russian bombing. The idea of ​​these soldiers is clear: to prevent the fall of Bakhmut in any way possible. And it is, according to some Ukrainian experts and officials, the fall of this city could provoke new and important Russian advances in the east of the country.

“In terms of motivation, we have it… We fight until victory, we need victory, not just peace,” explains the 44th brigade commander.

For civilians like Valentina, 82 years old, victory still seems a long way off, after another night of bombing. The old woman confesses that living conditions here are very difficult right now: “It’s cold, it’s cold inside. There is no gas, no electricity, no water. Nothing remains“, Lamenta Valentyna.

The importance of gaining time

The truth is that, and according to the UK Ministry of Defense, the capture of Bakhmut is putting the Wagner mercenary group to the test. The front line, reports from London, is now on the Bakhmuta Riverwhose bridges have been destroyed by Ukrainian troops: “Ukrainian forces hold the west of the city and have demolished key bridges over the river, which runs north-south through a 200- to 800-meter strip of open land Wide”.

From the Ukrainian side, the commander of its ground forces, Oleksandr Syrskydeclared this Saturday that the fight for Bakhmut helped buy time to prepare a future counteroffensive.

“The real heroes now are the defenders who hold the eastern front on their shoulders and inflict the greatest possible losses without sparing themselves or the enemy,” Syrsky said in a statement. “It is necessary to buy time to accumulate reserves and launch a counteroffensivewhich is not far.”

The longest and bloodiest battle of this war continues.

Source