Zelensky warns of consequences if Russia captures Bakhmut
2023.03.07 13:08
Zelensky warns of consequences if Russia captures Bakhmut
By Tiffany Smith
Budrigannews.com – In an interview with CNN, President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that if Russian troops take control of Bakhmut, they will have an “open road” to capturing important cities in eastern Ukraine. Zelensky was defending his decision to keep Ukrainian forces in the besieged city.
Zelensky insisted that Kyiv’s military leadership is united in extending its defense of the city after weeks of Russian attacks left it on the verge of falling to Moscow’s troops. “This is tactical for us,” he said.
We know that they could go further after Bakhmut. In an exclusive interview from Kiev, he told Wolf Blitzer, “They could go to Kramatorsk, they could go to Sloviansk, it would be open road for the Russians after Bakhmut to other towns in Ukraine, in the direction of Donetsk.” Our men are standing there because of that.
Thousands of people have been driven out of the city and its infrastructure has been destroyed in a weeks-long assault by Wagner mercenary troops that has picked up speed in recent days. However, Russian progress has been slowed by the persistent defense of the region by Ukrainian troops.
According to Zelensky, Russia’s goals are “so different” from his reasons for keeping the city. We comprehend Russia’s objectives there. Even if Russia destroys everything in Bakhmut and kills every civilian there, Russia still needs at least a small victory, Zelensky stated.
He stated that Russia could “mobilize their society in order to create this idea they’re such a powerful army” by “putting their little flag” on Bakhmut.
Bakhmut does not have a lot of strategic value on its own, but its road connections to Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, two industrial cities with a lot of people and a lot of traffic in the northwest, put those cities in Russia’s crosshairs if they can take control.
In light of an increasing risk of cutting off hundreds or even thousands of Ukrainian troops and an increasing number of casualties, some commanders and lower-ranking officers have questioned the wisdom of holding Bakhmut.
Zelensky, however, dismissed those worries, claiming that his commanders had “never heard anything like that.”
He stated, “We have to think about our people first, and this is very important: no one should be surrounded.”
Zelensky added, “The military sees for themselves that we have to stay strong there despite Russia destroying the entire city and everything there.” Children and civilians were being evacuated by troops, and people were still leaving Bakhmut today. We assisted everyone.
Iryna Vereshchuk, the country’s vice prime minister, stated in another place on Tuesday that the destroyed city still houses nearly 4,000 civilians, including 38 children. We have armored vehicles and special evacuation teams that offer assistance. She stated in a televised address, “But people frequently stay in basements, leaving no information about where they are.” Evacuation becomes much more difficult as a result.
According to a military official with the alliance on Monday, NATO intelligence estimates that Russian forces have lost at least five soldiers for every Ukrainian soldier killed defending Bakhmut. The official emphasized that the 5-to-1 ratio was an intelligently calculated estimate.
Wagner troops have been sliding on the city since catching the town of Soledar in January. If they were to take control of Bakhmut, it would be the first time that a town had changed hands in the war that has become sluggish and slow-moving in the eastern Donbass of Ukraine.
A horrible video appears to show a Ukrainian soldier, who is thought to be a prisoner of war, being apparently executed by Russian soldiers after he says, Ukraine be praised.
Zelensky promises justice after a video appears to show the execution of a Ukrainian soldier. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian Presidency, told CNN on Monday that in defending Bakhmut, Ukraine had two primary objectives: gaining time to resupply and suffering significant losses to Russian armies.
He stated, “It achieved its goals by 1,000 percent.” The case of defending Bakhmut will be a great strategic success for the Ukrainian Armed Forces as a foundation for future victory, even if the military leadership eventually makes the decision to retreat to positions that are more favorable.
After Zelensky successfully persuaded the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and a group of other European nations to increase their military aid, Ukraine is currently rushing to incorporate Western weapons systems and dozens of tanks into its operations.
It comes before a likely Russian spring offensive that could include territory in central and northern Ukraine that Russia failed to capture during its first invasion last year.
