Volodymyr Zelensky ordered more Ukrainian forces on Tuesday to be deployed to “help the guys” defending Bakhmut where Vladimir Putin’s troops are suffering heavy losses.
The Ukrainian president announced the reinforcements after a meeting with his military chiefs on Monday.
Putin’s “private army”, the Wagner Group, and the regular Russian army are attacking Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk province from the east, north and south.
Military experts had expected Ukraine to carry out an orderly retreat as the town is not strategically important.
But in his late-night address, Mr Zelensky said: “Today at the Staff meeting, I directly asked both Khortytsia commander, General Syrskyi, and Commander-in-Chief Zaluzhny about their view of the further defence operation in the Bakhmut sector.
“Either withdrawal or continuation of defence and reinforcement of the city.
“Both generals replied: do not withdraw and reinforce. And this opinion was unanimously backed by the Staff.
“There were no other opinions.
“I told the Commander-in-Chief to find the appropriate forces to help the guys in Bakhmut.
“Bakhmut has yielded and is yielding one of the greatest results during this war, during the entire battle for Donbas.”
In London, the Ministry of Defence said Ukrainian forces had managed to shore up their defences in the north of the town.
The MoD’s latest intelligence update said: “The Ukrainian defence of Bakhmut continues to degrade forces on both sides.
“Over the weekend, Ukrainian forces likely stabilised their defensive perimeter following previous Russian advances into the north of the town.
A Russian strike destroyed a bridge over the only paved supply road into Bakhmut still under Ukrainian control around March 2, it added, stressing that muddy conditions were “likely hampering Ukrainian resupply efforts as they increasingly resort to using unpaved tracks”.
But the MoD also stressed: “Public disagreements between the Wagner Group and Russian Ministry of Defence over the allocation of munitions highlights the difficulty in sustaining the high levels of personnel and ammunition required to advance with their current tactics.”
Putin’s forces have been trying to take Bakhmut for months and say capturing it would be a step towards the objective of seizing all of the surrounding Donbas region.
It would be their first major battlefield success for more than six months.
But Western strategists say it would be more of a pyrrhic victory given the time taken and casualties suffered.
Ukrainian troops have been reinforcing positions west of the city in apparent preparation for a possible withdrawal but appear not to have decided to pull out.
Some reports suggest Putin’s military is suffering casualties at a rate of seven to one compared to Ukraine in the battle for Bakhmut.
The fierce fighting has depleted artillery reserves on both sides, with thousands of shells fired daily along the eastern and southern fronts.
Kyiv’s European allies are working on a deal to procure more ammunition.
The head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary force, which has led the Bakhmut assault, said on Monday he needed the regular army to supply him with more ammunition if he was to win the battle.
The appeal from Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin underlines his deepening rift with the Russian defence ministry, which he has accused of deliberately starving his men of ammunition, an accusation the ministry has rejected.
“I’m knocking on all doors and sounding the alarm about ammunition and reinforcements, as well as the need to cover our flanks,” he said.
“If everyone is coordinated, without ambition, screw-ups and tantrums, and carries out this work, then we will block the armed forces of Ukraine. If not, then everyone will be screwed.”
There was no response from the Russian Ministry of Defence, though it has previously denied failing to supply Wagner troops with ammunition.
