The UK's Ministry of Defence said Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut are getting increasingly isolated as the Russians continue to make small advances in its attempt to encircle the town.
It added that the two main roads into Bakhmut were likely being threatened by direct fire.
The embattled eastern city of Bakhmut is “still a stronghold,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on Sunday.
"It’s still a symbol,” Reznikov said during a press conference in Kyiv.
Ukraine's continuing hold over the city is perceived as a symbol of the country's resistance. In a trip to Washington DC in December, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told US lawmakers that the "fight for Bakhmut will change the tragic story of our war for independence and of freedom.”
Intense bombardment has left the city nearly completely destroyed, with Zelensky saying “every inch of that land is soaked in blood."
Head of Russia's private military group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhinalso said via Telegram on Sunday that Ukraine's defense of the city was still holding strong with "fierce battles for every street, every house, every stairwell.”
Reznikov added that Russian troops had tried to take control of the area in the Donbas region since the summer, alleging that they lose around 500 people daily while storming it. CNN cannot independently verify that number.
For nearly six months, Ukrainian forces have been battling Russian encroachment to keep control of the besieged territory which lies between the separatist-held cities Donetsk and Luhansk.
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It added that the two main roads into Bakhmut were likely being threatened by direct fire.
Ukraine braced for renewed Russian offensive later in February
A large Russian attack is likely to come from the east and south, Kyiv says.
www.bbc.co.uk
The embattled eastern city of Bakhmut is “still a stronghold,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on Sunday.
"It’s still a symbol,” Reznikov said during a press conference in Kyiv.
Ukraine's continuing hold over the city is perceived as a symbol of the country's resistance. In a trip to Washington DC in December, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told US lawmakers that the "fight for Bakhmut will change the tragic story of our war for independence and of freedom.”
Intense bombardment has left the city nearly completely destroyed, with Zelensky saying “every inch of that land is soaked in blood."
Head of Russia's private military group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhinalso said via Telegram on Sunday that Ukraine's defense of the city was still holding strong with "fierce battles for every street, every house, every stairwell.”
Reznikov added that Russian troops had tried to take control of the area in the Donbas region since the summer, alleging that they lose around 500 people daily while storming it. CNN cannot independently verify that number.
For nearly six months, Ukrainian forces have been battling Russian encroachment to keep control of the besieged territory which lies between the separatist-held cities Donetsk and Luhansk.
Bakhmut remains a stronghold, says Ukraine's defense minister
Nearly half a million people in Odesa have been left without power after a "serious accident" at a substation previously damaged by Russian attacks, Ukrainian officials say. Follow here for live updates.
