President Volodymr Zelensky has vowed to fight on in the besieged city of Bakhmut – despite Russian forces closing in from three sides and terrible suffering. As scenes of bloody carnage continued on the streets of the devastated city, Mr Zelensky pledged: “It is impossible for us to give up on Bakhmut because this will expand the battlefront and give the Russian forces and Wagner chances to seize more of our lands.”
Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the private Wagner mercenary group which is heading the Bakhmut assault, claims to now control 80 per cent of the city amid some of the fiercest fighting of the war.
And the horrific realities for soldiers fighting for Bakhmut were laid bare in this series of recently released pictures.
In one, a military paramedic tends to a badly injured Ukrainian serviceman lying amid the rubble on the streets of Bakhmut.
In another, Ukrainian servicemen carry an injured colleague to help.
Kyiv has repeatedly denied it is planning to withdraw troops from the Donetsk region and Mr Zelensky said his forces would continue to battle for the key eastern city, despite huge losses on both sides.
Elsewhere, Ukrainian forces yesterday launched an overnight drone attack on the Russian-controlled naval port of Sevastopol in Crimea, annexed in 2014. The peninsula is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine.
In another blow to Vladimir Putin, one of his senior regional governors admitted: “Our fleet is under attack,” amid huge explosions. Russian sources said the first of two attacks came at 3:30am.
“The whole city woke up from the explosions,” one Russian report said.
The Kremlin later claimed it had beaten back the aerial assault and denied any damage to President Putin’s prized Black Sea Fleet or any facilities. Ukraine made no immediate comment.
In a separate development, Ukrainian forces are said to have crossed the key Dnipro River on Ukraine’s southern front and established a bridgehead on the east bank.
Forces reportedly quickly built positions that can now be used to launch attacks deeper into Russian-occupied territory.
Russian forces are said to be carrying out a partial retreat.
Meanwhile, a suspected Ukrainian drone stuffed with Canadian M112 explosive charges was found in woods 32 miles east of Moscow. It is assumed the military drone either overflew or circumnavigated the capital city.
While Moscow has not been hit so far in the war by Ukrainian aerial attack, some believe it is vulnerable.
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