On Sunday afternoon, Kiev insisted that not only had the Russians not completely taken Bakhmut, but that the Ukrainians were strengthening their defenses in the long-suffering city, had built a semicircle around it, recaptured some of the peripheral heights, and were still in control of some of its districts.

While Russian President Vladimir Putin has been congratulating the Wagner mercenary group and the Russian military for what he calls the “complete takeover” of Bakhmut, Ukrainian officials have been very specific about the positions of Ukrainian forces and the areas they control on the largely flattened west coast. Donetsk city.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky himself issued a statement essentially clarifying his earlier reference to the situation in the city, denying the fact that the Russians are in complete control of Bakhmut. “Ukrainian forces remain in the city, it is not true that it has been taken by the Russians,” he said.

According to Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Khana Malyar, “the enemy was unable to encircle Bakhmut and lost part of the dominant heights around the city. That is, the offensive of our troops in the lateral direction, to the suburbs, which is still ongoing, makes it very difficult for the enemy to hold in Bakhmut, ”she said in a Telegram message.

“Our troops have placed the city in a semicircle, which gives us the opportunity to destroy the enemy. Therefore, the enemy in the part of the city that he controls must defend himself,” said Ms Mallar.

As the deputy minister pointed out, the Ukrainian defense forces control the industrial and other facilities of the private sector of Bakhmut in the Litaksky district.

For his part, the representative of the Eastern Army of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Serhiy Tserevaty noted that Bakhmut was completely destroyed as a result of shelling by the Russian army, but Ukrainian forces continue to hold positions in the southwestern part of the city. fighting the Russians.

Referring specifically to President Zelensky’s ambiguous statement on Sunday that “Bakhmut now exists only in our hearts,” Mr. Tserevati said that “the president was right — the city has practically disappeared from the face of the earth. The enemy daily destroys it with massive artillery and air strikes, and our units report that the situation is extremely difficult. Our military owns fortifications and many facilities on the southwestern side of the city. Fierce fighting is underway,” the source said.

According to him, Russia attaches too much symbolic significance to Bahamut.

“Russia draws attention to Bakhmut, as if the Dnieper will be taken. In fact, they didn’t go all the way. The city is destroyed, it does not bring them any military or even political benefit. Nine months later they took the center of the district, but not the whole city. We are trying to break into the flanks, not leave them alone and, if possible, counterattack,” Tserevati said.

Source: Ukrinform