Successfully Defending Bakhmut Despite Being Hit, President Zelensky: Our Army Continues To Back Down Russian Efforts

JAKARTA - Ukrainian troops are repelling persistent attacks in the city of Bakhmut, the eastern Donbas region and maintaining their position near Soleredar in very difficult conditions, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday.

"Bakhmut survives regardless of everything. And even though most of the cities have been destroyed by Russian attacks, our soldiers are constantly pushing back Russia's efforts to advance," Zelensky said in his evening video address.

"Soledar survives, even though there is a bigger devastation and the situation is very difficult."

Furthermore, President Zelensky issued a new condemnation of what he said was Russia's failure to comply with the ceasefire it had proclaimed for Orthodox Christmas by carrying out attacks on Ukrainian cities.

"Russia opened fire on Kherson with incendiary ammunition as soon as Christmas," he said, referring to a city in the south abandoned by Russian troops in November.

"Attacks in Kramatorsk and other cities in Donbas against civilian targets were carried out at a time when Moscow reported its supposed 'henitangan' for its troops."

Russia said on Sunday that a missile strike on Kramatorsk, northwest of Bakhmut, had killed 600 Ukrainian soldiers. However, a Reuters reporter at the scene found no clear signs of casualties.