JAKARTA - Ukraine has decided to continue fighting in the destroyed city of Bakhmut, where fighting there drains the best Russian army units ahead of Ukraine's planned spring counter-attack, aide to President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
The comments, by Mykhailo Podolyak, are the latest signal of Kyiv's changes this week to continue defending the small town in the east, where Moscow was most bloody fighting as Moscow tried to secure its first win in more than half a year.
"Russia has changed tactics," Podolyak said in an interview published by the Italian La Stampa newspaper.
"They have gathered in Bakhmut with most of their trained military personnel, the remains of their professional soldiers, as well as private companies," he continued.
"Therefore, we have two goals: to reduce their capable personnel as much as possible. And to trouble them in some tiring key battles, to disrupt their attacks and concentrate our resources elsewhere, for the spring counter-attack. So, today Bakhmut is really effective, even exceeding its main task," he explained.
Russia is known to have made Bakhmut the main target of a winter attack involving hundreds of thousands of reserve soldiers and mercenaries. They managed to seize the eastern part of the city and the outskirts of the north and south, but have so far failed to close Bakhmut.
Kyiv, which in early March appeared to be planning to withdraw to the western position of the city, announced earlier this week its generals had decided to strengthen its troops in Bakhmut and continue fighting.
In a morning update, Ukrainian general staff reported a large number of attacks along the front lines and said "enemy did not stop its attack on Bakhmut".
Moscow said seizing Bakhmut would be a step towards capturing all areas of Ukraine's Donbas industrial area, a major destination.
Meanwhile, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday, seizing the city would make Ukraine's defenses perforated and allow Moscow to advance deeper.
Separately, President Volodymyr Zelenksy warned Russia would have an open path to capturing major cities in eastern Ukraine, if it succeeded in controlling the city of Bakhmut, defending its decision to keep Ukrainian troops in a trapped city, in an exclusive interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer from Kyiv.
"It's tactical for us," President Zelensky said, insisting that Kyiv military officials unite in extending his defenses over the city after weeks of Russian attacks left him on the verge of falling into the hands of Moscow troops.
"We understand that after Bakhmut, they can go further. They can go to Kramatorsk, they can go to Sloviansk, it will be an open path for Russia after Bakhmut to other cities in Ukraine, towards Donetsk," President Zelensky said.
He said if Russia could "overlap their little flag" over the Bakhmut, it would help "mobilize their society to create the idea that they are very powerful soldiers."
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