Dhe Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that if the Russian army takes over the fiercely contested city of Bakhmut, there will be “free rein” for further Russian conquests in eastern Ukraine. “We are aware that they could go further after Bakhmut,” Zelenskyy said in an interview with the US television channel CNN. The Russian troops would then have “free rein to other Ukrainian cities, in the direction of Donetsk”.
In the CNN interview with popular TV host Wolf Blitzer, scheduled to air on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces were determined to hold Bakhmut. “Everyone says we have to stay strong in Bakhmut,” said Zelenskyy, referring to a meeting with Ukraine’s chief of staff and other army leaders on Tuesday.
Of course, Kiev should also think about the lives of its soldiers, said Zelenskyy. “But while we wait for weapons and supplies and the army prepares for the counteroffensive, we must do everything in our power.”
Moscow meanwhile sticks to the capture of Bakhmut. On Tuesday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu described capturing the eastern Ukrainian city as crucial for the continuation of the Russian offensive. At a televised meeting with officials in his ministry, Shoigu said taking control of Bakhmut would “enable new offensive in-depth operations against the defense of Ukraine’s armed forces.”
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