Ukrainian army considers withdrawal from Bakhmut – Russia

The Ukrainian army may withdraw its troops from the city of Bakhmut, an adviser to the Ukrainian president said yesterday. This would mean that Russia would seize the city, which has become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance, the Associated Press reported.

Russian troops waged a bloody offensive to capture Bakhmut that lasted for months. The place is famous for its salt and gypsum mines, but it has now become a ghost town.

Our military will obviously consider all options. So far she has been in control of the city, but she will pull out if she has to. We will not sacrifice all our people for nothing, Oleksandr Rodnyansky, economic adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, told CNN.

Bakhmut is located in the Donetsk region, one of four regions that Russia illegally annexed last fall. Moscow has control over half of it. To capture the other part, the Russian forces must pass through Bakhmut. It is the only route to the larger cities under Ukrainian control since Ukrainian troops retook Izyum in Kharkiv Oblast in September.

Russian forces are stepping up their attacks on Bakhmut, and the Ukrainian army is trying to entrench itself in the city

Analysts say that if Bakhmut falls under Russian control, it would be a blow to Ukraine and give Russia tactical advantages. However, this would not be decisive for the outcome of the war.

Rodnyansky noted that Russia used the best troops of the Wagner group to surround the city. The private paramilitary company led by Yevgeny Prigozhin is known for its brutal actions. Prigozhin is a millionaire who amassed his wealth in a suspicious manner and is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, BTA notes.

Prigozhin said he had seen no signs of a Ukrainian withdrawal and that Kiev was in fact sending fresh reinforcements to Bakhmut.