Ukraine hails ‘first success’ at Bakhmut

KYIV—Ukraine on Monday welcomed its troops’ advances in areas near the frontline town of Bakhmut, the scene of the longest and fiercest fighting since Russia’s invasion.

“The advance of our troops in the Bakhmut direction is the first success of the offensive in the course of the operation to defend Bakhmut,” said the commander of the Ukrainian ground forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Britain on Monday to meet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who pledged “hundreds” of both airdefense missiles and long-range attack drones to fend off Russia’s invasion.

Zelensky’s arrival, confirmed by the UK government, comes after he secured fresh promises of military aid during weekend visits to France and Germany ahead of a widely expected counter-offensive against Russia.

“The UK is a leader when it comes to expanding our capabilities on the ground and in the air,” Zelensky tweeted before meeting Sunak at the prime minister’s country retreat of Chequers.

Bakhmut, the industrial eastern town that once had around 70,000 residents, has been reduced to rubble after months of brutal fighting that has made it the epicenter of Russia’s invasion.

“The last few days have shown that we can move forward and destroy the enemy even in such extremely difficult conditions,” Syrskyi said.

“We are fighting with fewer resources than the enemy. At the same time, we manage to destroy its plans,” he added.

Syrskyi’s comments come after the head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, which is leading the Russian assault on Bakhmut, claimed that regular Russian troops were fleeing the flanks of the town and exposing his forces in its centre.