As Desperate, Ukrainian Tank Soldiers: Bakhmut Will Fall!
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A Ukrainian soldier carries a 2S5 Giatsint-S self-propelled howitzer before firing at Russian troops outside the frontline town of Bakhmut, in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, March 5, 2023. Photo/REUTERS/Anna Kudriavtseva
BAKHMUT – Despite the insistence of the Ukrainian leadership that its armed forces will continue to defend the city of Artyomovsk or Bakhmut in Donbass, there are indications that the Kiev forces will withdraw.
The grim news for the Ukrainian troops was revealed in the report Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“Bakhmut will fall,” a Ukrainian tank operator told AFP in the town of Chasov Yar, about 10 km west of Artyomovsk.
He explained, “We were almost surrounded. Units progressively retreated in small groups.”
The unpaved road connecting the two settlements remains the only road relatively safe from Russian attack, the man claims.
He warned that if the Ukrainian armored vehicles got stuck in the ground, they could become easy targets for Russian artillery.
The news agency also cited the US-based Institute for the Study of War, which recently assessed that Kiev is undertaking a limited tactical withdrawal from the city, which could lead to a strategic retreat.
On Monday (6/3/2023), Kiev announced it would continue strengthening its position in Artyomovsk, despite reported heavy losses on both sides.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office claims the decision to defend the city was backed by Armed Forces Commander Valery Zaluzhny.
