Ukrainian president Zelensky visits the frontline in Bakhmut

Ukrainian president Zelensky visits the frontline in Bakhmut
Ukrainian president Zelensky visits the frontline in Bakhmut

Ukrainian president Zelensky visits the frontline in Bakhmut

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made an unannounced visit to the frontline city of Bakhmut, which has been a key target for Russian forces in the Donetsk region for months. The city has sustained significant damage as Ukrainian and Russian forces have fought a fierce battle. However, Ukrainian forces have been able to hold back the Russian advance. Zelensky’s visit is a significant show of support for the Ukrainian troops, and a demonstration of defiance against Russia.

Ukrainian president Zelensky visits the frontline in Bakhmut
Ukrainian president Zelensky visits the frontline in Bakhmut

In video footage shown on Freedom TV, Zelensky expressed his support for the troops and wished them well. He stated that the Russians had already lost 99,000 troops in the war, though this figure has not been independently verified. Zelensky also referenced the Wagner mercenary group, which has been active in fighting near Bakhmut, and suggested that Bakhmut was breaking not only the Russian army, but also the mercenaries that have come to replace it.

Ukrainian president Zelensky visits the frontline in Bakhmut
Ukrainian president Zelensky visits the frontline in Bakhmut

Bakhmut has been a focus of the Russian campaign for months and its capture could potentially open the way to the capture of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, the most important cities in the Donbas region still under Ukrainian control. However, with Ukraine strengthening its defences in the surrounding area, it is thought that any Russian victory in Bakhmut would be only symbolic.

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Both sides have sustained heavy losses, leading both Russian and Ukrainian commanders to describe the battle as a “meat grinder”. Few civilians remain in the city, which had a population of 70,000 before the war. Today marks the 300th day since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar, who also visited Bakhmut, wrote on Facebook that Ukraine is standing and fighting and will win in its more than 300-day struggle for liberation from Russia.

Source:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/20/world/europe/zelensky-bakhmut-visit-ukraine.html