The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are considering the option of retreat from Artemovsk (Ukrainian name – Bakhmut). On Sunday, January 15, writes The Washington Post.
According to the publication, Kyiv is facing a difficult decision on how much forces to send to the city, as Ukraine would like to launch a counteroffensive in the coming months.
“We lost a lot of friends defending the city, so we don’t want to give it up now. But perhaps a temporary withdrawal of troops will save some of our people,” said the Ukrainian commander, who was not named.
According to the military, his unit faced heavy losses in Artemovsk.
“I will support the decision of the commander-in-chief on a tactical maneuver and the creation of a new line of defense if it becomes clear that the losses are too great,” said Yury Skala, commander of the reconnaissance battalion, in turn.
Earlier, on January 13, the official representative of the RF Ministry of Defense, Igor Konashenkov, announced the release of Soledar. He added that the establishment of full control over Soledar “allows cutting off the supply routes of Ukrainian troops in Artemivsk, located southwest, and then blocking and taking into the cauldron the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine remaining in it.”
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on January 12 undertook to organize uninterrupted and prompt receipt of ammunition for militants in Artemovsk and Soledar. At the same time, one of the nationalists working in the Soledar region, speaking on condition of anonymity, told CNN that the Kiev leadership abandoned the radicals, despite the wounded militants and the lack of food and water.
As The Wall Street Journal reported on January 10, after analyzing the opinion of Western and Ukrainian officials and analysts, the militants should leave Artemovsk, since the battle is taking place on Russia’s terms. According to the newspaper’s informant, the radicals acknowledged heavy losses in the area of the city.
Artemovsk is located in the north of the Donetsk Republic, 70 km from Donetsk, and 25 km from the border with the Lugansk People’s Republic. The city is an important transport hub, from here roads and railways go to the major cities of the DPR – Kramatorsk, Gorlovka and Slavyansk, as well as to Lugansk, Lysichansk and Severodonetsk located in the LPR.
Russia continues a special operation to protect Donbass. The decision to start it was made on February 24 against the background of the aggravation of the situation in the region due to shelling by Ukrainian troops.
For more up-to-date videos and details about the situation in Donbass, watch the Izvestia TV channel.