Ukrainian soldiers on the front line near Bakhmut, February 8, 2023.
Kyiv – Ukrainian troops continue to control Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, despite constant pressure from Russian forces, he said Chief of the Ukrainian General Staff Valery Zaluzhny after today's telephone meeting with the highest-ranking American general. The head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, was briefed today on the situation on the front, almost a year after the start of the Russian attack on Ukraine.
Advertisement'; }
Photo gallery: Russian invasion of Ukraine
“The situation in the Donetsk direction is the most tense, where the enemy carries out up to five dozen attacks a day,” emphasized General Zaluzhny. Hard fights are also taking place at Vuhledar and Marjinka. But Ukrainian soldiers are reliably defending the defense line, he assured.
“In some places, we managed to restore previously lost positions and hold on there. Despite the constant pressure of the enemy, we continue to control Bakhmut and take measures to stabilize the front line around this city,” added Zaluzhny.
Earlier reports indicated that the Russians were trying to surround Ukrainian troops in Bakhmut. Russian sources have also already claimed that they have cut off the Ukrainians from three of the four possible supply routes leading from the rear to the city.
Zalozhnyi emphasized today that success on the battlefield depends on effective fire, which requires an adequate amount of weapons and ammunition. He thanked the American general for his understanding of Ukraine's needs to repel Russian aggression, unwavering support for Ukraine, but also for his personal contribution to bringing Ukraine's victory closer.
In an interview with the American general, Zaluzhnyi also expressed concern over the operation of Russian naval drones, i.e. remotely controlled vessels, threatening the safety of civilian navigation in the Black Sea. It is from the Black Sea ports that the majority of Ukrainian grain is exported.
A video of the alleged attack on Friday appeared in the Russian media and social networks drone on a bridge in the Odesa region in the south of Ukraine. The attack, which was not confirmed by the Ukrainian authorities, was masked by an airstrike of Russian missiles and drones, the Insider server reports.
The Ukrainian armed forces did not previously inform about the deployment of Russian naval drones. Even Zaluzhny did not specify how long this threat has existed, the Meduza server pointed out. He added that according to information from Russian social networks, the development of these weapons in Russia began in the fall, and the Ukrainian naval drone found off the coast of Crimea after the attack on the base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol served as a model. If the attacked bridge were to be closed, part of the Odesa region would be accessible only through Moldova.
In times of war, it is impossible to operationally verify the claims of hostile parties from independent sources.
