Ukraine’s top generals have vowed to continue defending the city of Bakhmut, President Zelenskyi’s office said, as Russian troops continue their siege, trying to win their first major victory in six months.

The latest on the war in Ukraine, day 377, LIVETEXT:

08:00 ​In a video interview given to the HotNews.ro team in Kyiv, the mayor of the city, Vitalii Klitschko, explained the difficulties that the residents of the capital of Ukraine went through this winter due to the Russian attacks.

Klitschko also addressed the Romanians: “It would be a big mistake to think that the war is far away and that this war will not affect each of you.”

07:30Ukraine took out 307 children from the territories occupied by Russia, including an 8-year-old boy who was recently reunited with his grandmother

06:54Peter Sijarto talked about the possible visit of Viktor Orban to Kyiv. The head of Hungarian diplomacy reported that they received an invitation, and technical details regarding the preparation of the visit should now be clarified.

06:43Like Germany, the Czech Republic has requested Leopard 2 tanks from Switzerland, which are currently in storage in the Alpine country, Swiss Defense Minister Viola Amherd said on Monday.

01:11A group of Ukrainian pilots is in the United States to be evaluated by the Arizona Air National Guard.

01:00Zelensky confirms that the Ukrainian army remains at its positions in Bakhmut and is not retreating: “Society must understand the meaning of our defense operations, the real meaning”

A brief summary of recent events:

• Zelensky said that he discussed Bakhmut with the Chief of Staff and the Commander of the Ground Forces and both supported the “continuation of the defensive operation” in Bakhmut.
• The Ukrainian commander in Bakhmut, Volodymyr Nazarenko, said that there was no order to withdraw and that “the defense is holding up”, albeit in conditions of “absolute hell”. “There is a consensus among the army on the need to continue the defense of the city and exhaust the enemy’s forces,” said presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak.
• Disputes arose between Zelenskyi and the Chief of the General Staff in Kyiv Valery Zaluzhny in connection with the withdrawal of troops from the city of Bakhmut, writes Bild with reference to sources in the political leadership of Ukraine.
• The leader of the Russian PMK “Wagner” Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Monday that his representative was not allowed to the headquarters of the “special military operation”
• According to NATO intelligence estimates, for every Ukrainian soldier killed in the battles for the defense of the city of Bakhmut, Russian forces lost at least five.
• Criminal proceedings have been opened in Ukraine over the “cruel and shameful shooting of an unarmed man” by Russia, as evidenced by a video that appeared on social networks.
• Claiming responsibility for the cross-border attack, the Ukrainian special forces unit Kraken said on Telegram that it had destroyed a military observation tower in the Bryansk region of Russia, which borders Ukraine, with a drone strike.
• The FSB security service of Russia announced that it prevented, with the support of Ukraine, a car explosion against a well-known businessman, nationalist Kostiantyn Malofeev.
• Russia has announced that it has recognized the anti-corruption group Transparency International as an “undesirable organization”.
• Russia’s federal budget deficit widened sharply in the first two months of the year as Moscow sharply increased spending and revenues fell amid falling oil and gas revenues, the Finance Ministry said.
• The Central Bank of Russia has extended for another six months, until September 9, 2023, restrictions on cash withdrawals in foreign currency for individuals and legal entities.
• The Ministry of Economy lowered the GDP growth forecast for 2023 to 1 percent, the deputy minister said. The ministry previously predicted that the economy would grow by 3.2% this year.
• Two Canadian companies are on the list of American organizations recently sanctioned for supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine.

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• Monday’s events were broadcast live on HotNews.ro