Literally, the Ukrainian soldiers fought with their fists, in the city of Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine, said a Ukrainian soldier. Washington Post earlier this week.
The fighting in the city was fierce and British intelligence said on Sunday that the Ukrainian defense was under sharply increasing pressure.
Fighting is still going on in the city, but it is heading towards Russian control, many experts claim. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky refuses to withdraw troops from the hard-hit city.
He describes it as a tactical decision and warns that Russian forces could have an “open road” to seizing other important cities in eastern Ukraine if they withdraw.
– We understand that after Bakhmut they can go further. Then they can go to Kramatorsk, they can go to Slovjansk, and that would be an open road for the Russians, says Zelenskyj in a recent interview. CNN.
Hard fighting: Ukrainian soldiers near Bakhmut on March 7. AP/NTB image
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However, he describes the Russian motives for taking Bakhmut as very different from the Ukrainian ones.
– We understand what Russia wants to achieve there. The President says Russia desperately needs a victory, a small victory, regardless of whether that means they have to destroy everything in Bakhmut and kill all the civilians there.
– If Russia can put its little flag over Bakhmut, it will help them rally their society to create the idea that they have such a strong army, Zelensky says.
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