Putin in a fix over battle for Bakhmut

UKRAINIAN forces will fight to the bitter end in the battle-scarred city of Bakhmut because they are “fixing in” some of Russia’s best troops ahead of Ukraine’s planned spring offensive.

Kyiv had previously declared it would be withdrawing its troops westwards before the city became completely encircled by a combination of Russian troops and mercenary soldiers operated by the private Russian Wagner Group.

But a change in Russian tactics – as it desperately seeks to secure its first victory in many months – has led to the assessment by Kyiv that staying might see Russian losses far exceed its own.

“Russia has changed tactics,” said Mykhailo Podolyak, an aide to Volodymyr Zelensky.

“It has converged on Bakhmut with a large part of its trained military personnel, the remnants of its professional army, as well as the private companies. We, therefore, have two objectives: to reduce their capable personnel as much as possible, and to fix them in a few key wearisome battles, to disrupt their offensive and concentrate our resources elsewhere, for the spring counter-offensive.” The decision by Russia to pour forces into the eastern city has led to some of the war’s bloodiest fighting.

Moscow says taking Bakhmut would be a step towards seizing all of Ukraine’s Donbas region.

It has laid claim to the eastern part of the city, and outskirts to the north and south, but has still to surround Ukrainian defenders.

Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said: “Our soldiers are doing everything possible to prevent the enemy implementing their plans.”

‘We will disrupt their offensive’