Russia has stepped up its bombardment of the city of Bakhmut, hoping to capture it by Tuesday, the Ukrainian general in charge of defending the besieged city said late Sunday, vowing to do everything possible to prevent that from happening.

Victory Day in Russia is May 9, one of the country’s most important public holidays, marking the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany.

The commander of the Ground Forces of Ukraine, Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, said that the Russian troops have intensified their shelling of Bakhmut, have started using more modern equipment and are regrouping their troops.

“Today it is important to make decisions as quickly as possible and predict the actions of the enemy,” Syrskyi said on his Telegram channel after he said he was on the front lines.

“The Russians still hope to capture the city by May 9. Our task is to prevent this from happening,” Syrskyi wrote.

The battle for the city, once home to 70,000 people, is symbolic for both sides, and Ukraine still holds parts of it after more than 10 months of fierce fighting against Russian regulars and Wagner mercenaries.

Moscow considers Bakhmut as a “gateway” for attacking other Ukrainian cities. Earlier, Kyiv stated that maintaining the defense of Bakhmut allows the military to prepare the expected counteroffensive.

Wagner PMC commander Yevgeny Prigozhin appeared to abandon his plans to withdraw from Bakhmut on Sunday, and Sirsky said the increased fighting “shows that the enemy is not going to change their plans and is doing everything possible to capture Bakhmut and continue offensive operations.” . .

Russia’s new large-scale attack on Ukraine

On the night from Monday to Tuesday, Russia struck a new blow in several regions of Ukraine.

The Supreme Military Command of Ukraine said that its forces destroyed all 35 Iranian-made Shahed drones that Russia launched overnight at various targets in the country.

At least five people were injured as a result of Russian strikes on Kyiv.