Ukraine’s ground forces commander visits Bakhmut despite looming threat of encirclement

The Commander of Ukraine's Ground Forces Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi visited Bakhmut (Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine) today amid the rumors that the Ukrainian Army is preparing to withdraw from the city.

Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi met with Ukrainian soldiers and officers that repel Russian attacks on Bakhmut and explained to them why it is utterly important to keep holding on to the city that Russian forces reduce to rubble.

Satellite images show widespread destruction in Bakhmut — NYT

The resources that Ukraine's Armed Forces allocate to defend Bakhmut break Russian plans to capture the city and halt the advance of the Russian forces, Colonel General Syrskyi said.

"The real heroes now are the defenders who hold the eastern front on their shoulders and inflict maximum losses on the enemy. The defense of Bakhmut gives us a chance to accumulate reserves and prepare for the spring counteroffensive, which is not far off," Colonel General Syrskyi told the Ukrainian defenders.

The frontline in Bakhmut, the epicenter of battles in eastern Ukraine, runs down the city's downtown along the Bakhmutka River, which gives Ukrainian defenders opportunities to demolish Russian troops in urban warfare. However, there is a looming threat of encirclement of the city by the Russian forces. The Ukrainian army’s supply routes remain challenged, according to British Defense Intelligence. Russia fails to capture Bakhmut since August 2022. Related:

• Ukraine's Bakhmut defense strategically justified despite high cost - ISW
• Ukraine's ground forces commander visited Bakhmut for the third time in two weeks, said battles reached the highest level of tension
• In villages around Bakhmut, civilians refuse to leave homes: photo report
• Russian Wagner troops have likely captured a village 6km northwest of Ukraine's Bakhmut on 9 March
• Norwegian medics get wounded by Russian shelling in Bakhmut