The commander of the Ground Forces of Ukraine, Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, visited Bakhmut on 5 March 2023. This is already his third visit to the city after previous visits on March 3 and February 25. Ukrainian forces have been defending the almost encircled city for a month, while the general fighting for Bakhmut has lasted since last autumn.
“The enemy threw Wagner’s additional forces into battle. Our soldiers are courageously defending their positions north of Bakhmut, trying to prevent the city’s encirclement,” said Oleksandr Syrskyi.
He added that the steadfastness of Ukrainian soldiers defeated the enemy’s attempts to capture the city. Ukrainians inflicted significant losses on the enemy, destroyed a large amount of equipment, forced Wagner’s best assault units into battle, and reduced the enemy’s offensive potential, Syrskyi said.
On 6 March 2023, Zelenskyy held his regular meeting with Ukraine’s military commanders, including Commander in Chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi and Commander of the Ground Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi. The presidential office reported that they decided to continue the defense operation in Bakhmut and not to withdraw entirely from the city.
