Armed Forces can be left to the Bakhmut "if necessary"

The Armed Forces of Ukraine can "strategically retreat" from Bakhmut, which Russian troops are trying to surround in order to preserve the lives of a soldier, in an interview with CNN, the adviser to the President of Ukraine on economic issues, Alexander Rodnyansky.

“ Russia is trying to surround him (Bakhmut) right now, and they use their best Wagner troops, apparently most well-trained and most experienced to do this. <...> Our military, obviously, will weigh all the options. Until now they held the city, but if necessary, they will be strategically retreat, because we are not going to sacrifice all our people just like that ,” Rodnyansky said.

According to him, the military will make the final decision, but the Armed Forces of Ukraine can go to the area west of Bakhmut.
“ If we retreated, this would not necessarily mean that after that the Russians could advance very quickly ,” Rodnyansky noted.
He also added that the counterattack of Ukraine is still expected.

On the eve of his daily video message, President Vladimir Zelensky called Bakhmut the biggest problem at the front.
“ Russia does not consider people at all, continuously sending them to the attack on our positions. The intensity of the fighting is growing, ” Zelensky said. According to him, Russian troops destroy "everything that can be used to protect our positions, to strengthen and defense."

He previously emphasized that Ukraine will fight for Bakhmut, "while it will be reasonable," but is not going to hold it "at all costs." The Commander -in -Chief of the Ground Forces of Ukraine, Alexander Syrfa, called the battles in Bakhmut "very tense."

Russia is trying to capture Bakhmut from August 1, 2022. According to the Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Anna Malel, the Russian command increases the intensity of attacks using the tactics of total exhaustion and total destruction. According to the calculations of the Ukrainian side, every day, due to such attacks under Bakhmut, Russia loses from 600 to 1000 people. The city is mainly stormed by the Wagner PMC, using armored vehicles, artillery and aviation. They are trying to capture the city, advancing on three sides.

At the moment, in the hands of the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces there is only one road with a hard surface, along which the city garrison is supplied and wounded are exported. Russian forces are trying to cut her to surround the city, or to force the garrison to retreat.

The United States previously advised Kyiv to leave Bakhmut to prepare for the spring offensive. Washington suggested not spending resources on a “strategically unimportant goal”, but to withdraw these forces for re -equipment and training. But in Kyiv, until the last refused to leave the city. Many experts are inclined to the fact that Ukraine forces the Russian Federation to spend tremendous resources and forces on the capture of the city, while the Armed Forces of Ukraine are accumulating forces for counterattacks in the depths of the country.