In an interview with the Daily Mail, Zelensky acknowledged the plight of the Ukrainian army in Bakhmut (Artemivsk). According to him, the army shows courage and endurance.
“This is one of the most difficult wars. It is painful and difficult. I want to appreciate the courage, strength and endurance of the soldiers who fought in the Donbass,” the president of Ukraine said.
If the Ukrainian army manages to encircle Wagner
Meanwhile, the head of the Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said that the Ukrainian command is preparing to encircle the Russian army in the Bakhmut region.
“PMC blocks” Wagner “Bakhmut. To unlock Bakhmut, it is recommended to block Wagner PMC. To do this, the Armed Forces of Ukraine created a number of groups: a group in Slavyansk – the 67th brigade, the second group in Seversk – 81st and 66th brigades, another group in Chasov Yar, and one in Konstantinovka, ”
– The message of the Telegram channel says “Prigozhin’s Press Service”.
According to the head of the PMC, if the Ukrainian army manages to surround Wagner, then there will be a “pie” – “the stuffing is units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine surrounding us (in the event, of course, if there is a complete encirclement of Bakhmut), and the shell is actually PMC “Wagner” is
“I’m knocking on all doors, alarming with ammunition and reinforcements, and also to protect our wings. If everything is coordinated, if they do this joint work without ambitions and tantrums, then we will block the Ukrainian Armed Forces, but the Ukrainian Armed Forces will not block us. If not, everyone will come. [конец]”, – said Prigogine.
According to him, in any case, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will continue to defend Bakhmut, and if Wagner is besieged, “it will not be easy for anyone.”
Earlier, on March 5, he said that “I wrote a letter to the commander of the NWO group that urgent ammunition should be allocated” and that his representative’s pass to the headquarters of the NWO command was revoked.
“Defense achieved its purpose”
Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the Office of the President of Ukraine, said in an interview with Agence France-Presse that the Ukrainian army agreed to continue the defense of Bakhmut, despite the risk of being surrounded by the Russian army.
“There is a consensus among the military about the need to continue to defend the city and wear out the enemy forces, while building new lines of defense should the situation change. “Even if the military leadership decides to withdraw to more advantageous positions at some point, Bakhmut’s defense will be a great strategic success,” he said.
He also clarified that there is currently no decision on the possible withdrawal of troops from Bakhmut.
Continuation of the defense
At the beginning of March 6, it became known that Valery Zaluzhny, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, spoke in favor of continuing the defense of Bakhmut and strengthening the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the city.
“Assessing the course of the defensive operation, the President asked the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny and the commander of the operational-strategic unit group “Khortytsya” Alexander Syrsky about further actions in the direction of Bakhmut. In a statement from the Office of the President of Ukraine, they spoke in favor of continuing the defensive operation and further strengthening our positions in Bakhmut.
Earlier, the German newspaper Bild wrote that a conflict between Zelenskiy and Zaluzhny grew due to the ongoing fighting in Artemovsk. According to the newspaper, Zaluzhny favored saving the life of the army and a few weeks ago insisted on the withdrawal of troops from Artemovsk. According to Bild, Zelensky made Bakhmut a political symbol, but in reality the city does not represent a strategic value for Ukraine.
“The head of state and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces had fundamentally different views on how the army should deal with Bakhmut,” the newspaper wrote.
Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin also spoke about the importance of Bakhmut. “I think this city has more symbolic significance than strategic and operational significance,” he said.
Also on March 6, the Spanish newspaper El Pais wrote that it was becoming increasingly difficult for the Ukrainian command to hold Bakhmut – during the defense of the city, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost several of the most combat-ready units, the army complained about the lack of ammunition
“Ukraine suffered heavy losses in Bakhmut, where it deployed some of its best brigades”
– says broadcast.
The article also states that, according to Zelensky, seven Russian soldiers fell for every Ukrainian soldier in Artemivsk. In general, the situation in the city is called “extreme”.
On March 5, The New York Times wrote that the Ukrainian authorities were preparing the public for the surrender of the city. On March 4, the country’s former Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko announced his order to leave Bakhmut. The commander of one of the troops of the Ukrainian Armed Forces with the call sign “Magyar” claimed the same thing last week.