Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, has accused Russian commanders of “insanity” for their attempts to conquer the eastern city of Bakhmut.
The Donetsk area city, which had a pre-war population of 70,000, has been the target of Russian assaults for months.
Mr. Zelensky stated that the strikes continued in full intensity despite an impending Ukrainian push on the vital city of Kherson.
Taking the town would be a symbol of Russia’s success.
Mr. Zelensky stated in his nightly message from Kiev, “This is where the insanity of the Russian command is most apparent.” They are driving people to their deaths day after day for months by concentrating the heaviest artillery strikes there.
Oleksiy Arestovych, a consultant to Mr. Zelensky, stated that on a single day, Russian soldiers conducted eight successive attacks on Bakhmut before lunch and were repelled each time.
The city is located on a major road that leads to the Ukrainian-held cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. In recent weeks, despite Russia’s difficulties elsewhere in Ukraine, its forces have made headway near Bakhmut.
According to analysts, the city has little military worth in terms of itself; nonetheless, if it were to fall, it would put adjacent cities back within range of Russian artillery and alter the narrative of a fight in which Moscow’s soldiers have been retreating steadily.
According to reports, Wagner paramilitary mercenaries are assisting regular Russian troops in the region. The founder of the group, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, is rumored to desire the town as a political reward.
Sunday, the mercenary commander admitted the sluggish pace of the Russian push on Bakhmut, stating that troops were barely advancing “100-200 meters each day.”
Mr. Prigozhin stated in a statement released by one of his companies, “Our units are continually met with the fiercest enemy resistance, and I observe that the enemy is well-prepared, motivated, and operates with confidence and harmony.” This will not prevent our fighters from advancing, but I am unable to estimate how long it will take.
Mr. Zelensky stated that Ukrainian soldiers were maintaining their ground despite intensive attacks and lauded his troops as “heroes.”
Additionally, Ukrainian soldiers continue to push in the south into Kherson, where Russia has ordered the evacuation of people.
Mr. Zelensky did not provide a direct report on the advance, but he did state that his men were “strengthening our positions everywhere along the front, decreasing the occupiers’ capacities, damaging their logistics, and preparing good news for Ukraine.”
However, Kyiv officials have warned that Russian forces are digging in around the city and intercepted radio transmissions indicating that additional “mobilized” Russian troops have been dispatched to bolster defenses.
Mr. Arestovych stated on Tuesday that no Russian forces were planning to withdraw from the city and that “the worst fights will be fought for Kherson.”
Ukraine’s defense minister, Oleksii Reznikov, stated that wet weather slowed the pace of the assault, making the counteroffensive more difficult than the fast eastern advance that forced Russian soldiers back in September.
Pro-Russian officials in the eastern province of Luhansk reported that Ukrainian soldiers had resumed their offensive in the region. They reported that severe fighting was taking place near the Russian-occupied settlements of Kreminna and Svatove.
Thursday, Russian-installed authorities in Crimea announced that they had shot down a Ukrainian drone near the Balaklava thermal power plant. Although it had created a minor fire, officials stated that the local power supply was not at risk.
More than 20 Iranian kamikaze drones were fired by Russian forces overnight, primarily targeting the southern areas of Mykolaiv and Odesa, and 19 were destroyed, according to Ukraine’s air force. According to local officials, Russian soldiers also targeted the Kyiv region, but initial reports indicate no casualties.
