Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned Russia that Kyiv’s men will not retreat from Bakhmut.
Troops continue to clash in bloody fighting in the city, and recent reports have suggested Ukraine could tactically withdraw after being overwhelmed by Russian soldiers.
But, Zelesnky said: “I told the chief of staff to find the appropriate forces to help the guys in Bakhmut. There is no part of Ukraine about which one can say that it can be abandoned.”
The Ukrainian President had been meeting with Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine’s ground forces.
Zelensky’s office said both men “spoke in favour of continuing the defensive operation and further strengthening [Ukrainian] positions in Bakhmut.”