BAKHMUT: Ukrainian forces defended positions in Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine amid a relentless assault by Russian troops to take a city turned into a wasteland by seven months of fighting. Both sides claimed success in what has become the longest-running battle since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago.
Ukrainian officials have said so Ukrainian ground forces shot down a Russian fighter jet near Bakhmut and made gains in northern parts of the city.
In the meantime, Yevgeny Prigozhinthe founder of the mercenary Wagner groupwho led the Russian assault on the city, said in a social media post on Wednesday that Russian troops have taken control of the Zaliznyanskoye settlement and are expanding the encirclement of Bakhmut.
The claims could not be verified.
The battle for Bakhmut intensified after Russian troops captured the nearby town of Soledar in January. Russian troops must move through Bakhmut to penetrate deeper into parts of Donetsk province they do not yet control, though Western officials say capturing the city would have limited impact on the course of the war.
An assessment by the British Ministry of Defense over the weekend said paramilitary units from the Wagner Group had taken eastern parts of Bakhmut, with a river running through the town marking the frontline of the fighting.
Russian troops have surrounded the city from three sides, leaving only a narrow corridor to the west. The only highway in the west has been the target of Russian artillery fire, forcing Ukrainian defenders to rely increasingly on country roads, which are difficult to use before the muddy ground dries up.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky discussed the situation in Bakhmut with senior military and intelligence officials on Tuesday and all agreed on the need to hold and defend the city, the presidential office said.
Ukrainian officials have said so Ukrainian ground forces shot down a Russian fighter jet near Bakhmut and made gains in northern parts of the city.
In the meantime, Yevgeny Prigozhinthe founder of the mercenary Wagner groupwho led the Russian assault on the city, said in a social media post on Wednesday that Russian troops have taken control of the Zaliznyanskoye settlement and are expanding the encirclement of Bakhmut.
The claims could not be verified.
The battle for Bakhmut intensified after Russian troops captured the nearby town of Soledar in January. Russian troops must move through Bakhmut to penetrate deeper into parts of Donetsk province they do not yet control, though Western officials say capturing the city would have limited impact on the course of the war.
An assessment by the British Ministry of Defense over the weekend said paramilitary units from the Wagner Group had taken eastern parts of Bakhmut, with a river running through the town marking the frontline of the fighting.
Russian troops have surrounded the city from three sides, leaving only a narrow corridor to the west. The only highway in the west has been the target of Russian artillery fire, forcing Ukrainian defenders to rely increasingly on country roads, which are difficult to use before the muddy ground dries up.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky discussed the situation in Bakhmut with senior military and intelligence officials on Tuesday and all agreed on the need to hold and defend the city, the presidential office said.
