In an interview with Italian media on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that while defending the city of Bakhmut is important to Ukraine, the country isn’t willing to defend it “at all costs.”
Zelensky explained that Bakhmut is a relatively small city, and that maintaining control over it is not worth “everybody dying,” but that Ukraine will fight for the city “as long as it remains rational” to do so. “We’re resisting, and at the same time preparing for our next counteroffensive,” the president said.
Ukrainian troops have been resisting Russia’s attempts to gain control of Bakhmut since July 2022. On the Russian side, the Wagner mercenary group has played a key role in the battle for the city.
Military analysts have noted that for Russia, Bakhmut likely holds more symbolic and political significance than strategic significance.
