JAKARTA - The Ukrainian military vowed on Tuesday not to surrender the destroyed city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, as they prepare to launch a long-promised counteroffensive against Russian troops.
The commander of the ground forces Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi underlined the importance of Kyiv defending Bakhmut, as preparations continue for a counteroffensive which will hopefully change the dynamics of the war.
The battle was of symbolic significance to both sides, with the Ukrainians still holding out in parts of the city after months of heavy fighting against regular Russian troops and Wagner Group mercenary forces.
"Together with the commanders, we have made a number of important decisions aimed at ensuring an effective defense and inflicting maximum losses on the enemy," Syrskyi said in a statement issued after a visit to troops in Bakhmut.
"We will continue, despite all forecasts and suggestions, to defend Bakhmut, destroying Wagner and other most combat-capable units of the Russian army," he said.
Earlier, General Syrskyi said on Monday, Ukrainian units had driven Russian troops out of several positions in Bakhmut.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said control of some parts of Bakhmut had changed hands.
"There were several positions lost, and positions that we managed to drive away from the enemy. Fierce fighting continues - currently, the city is controlled by our armed forces," he told the WeUkraine television channel.
On the Russian side, Wagner units advanced up to 160 meters (yards) in several directions on Tuesday, founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said on messaging app Telegram, repeating claims Ukrainian forces now control less than three square kilometers (1.2 square miles) Bakhmut.
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Prigozhin also repeated his complaint that Moscow was not supplying its troops with enough ammunition.
It is known that Russia saw Bakhmut, which was once home to 70.000 people, as a springboard for attacking other cities in Ukraine.
Separately, the White House said yesterday that Russia had depleted its military and armed forces, with some 100.000 Russian troops killed or injured in Ukraine in the past five months, according to US intelligence estimates.
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