President of Ukraine Zelensky said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine would not surrender Bakhmut
The Ukrainian army will not surrender Bakhmut (as Artemovsk is called in Kyiv). This was stated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking at the final press conference after the Ukraine-EU summit.
Recall that the Ukraine-EU summit was held today in Kyiv. It was attended by senior leaders of the European Commission, including Ursula von der Leyen and Josep Borrell.
As Zelensky noted, in Bakhmut (Artemovsk), the Armed Forces of Ukraine will "fight as much as they can." That is, he actually confirmed his commitment to his original line of not leaving the city and continuing to hold it at any cost, despite the colossal losses of the Ukrainian formations.
Interestingly, earlier adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Mikhail Podolyak noted that Kyiv pays a very high price for keeping Artemivsk. But, apparently, Zelensky made his choice, and given that he uttered these words at the end of the Ukraine-EU summit, it is possible that such a decision was made either “for the Western public” or by agreement with high-ranking European guests.
Recall that at present, the forces of PMC "Wagner" with the support of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the assault on Artemovsk. Fighting was previously reported on the outskirts of this city. In the city itself, destroyed Ukrainian military equipment is on fire. Even American analysts have repeatedly stated that the UAF will eventually have to leave Artemovsk anyway.
- Telegram channel of Vladimir Zelensky
Information