with the latest on the situation in bakhmut. according to the british ministry of defence ukrainian forces are now coming under what it calls severe pressure, particularly in the north of the city. they say that, at the moment, ukrainian special forces are being deployed to dry to reinforce what increasingly look potentially like a rearguard action that is taking place in the city. at the same time, the institute for war, an independent us research group that looks at open source data, satellite communications and the like, they now say that the scene is set for ukraine to carry out what it calls a controlled fighting withdrawal. it notes that a couple of bridges in key locations have been destroyed by ukrainian forces, presumably with the intent of slowing the russian progress. at the same time there are reports of ukrainian forces digging trenches in the west and bringing other reinforcements up there. what we are seeing here i think is clearly an evolution in a battle for the city t
they all say there is little strategic value in bakhmut. massive transport links, that if it were to fall, if ukrainian forces were to withdraw, then it would be a rare piece of good news for the kremlin. they would make the most of that. they would call it a victory. at the same time they would claim that it gives them a stepping stone to further territorial gain in eastern ukraine, in the donbas. that is challenged by military analysts who say it does not automatically mean that, you know, other cities will follow. but it clearly will be a piece of good news that the russians have sorely needed for many months. but it will come at a huge cost. it is widely understood that one of the strategic reasons for ukraine holding on to the city so hard is because of the sheer number of russian casualties that have been inflicted they are. one of ukraine s senior commanders
right now is living in shelters. there is no water or gas or electricity and we have given heaters to everybody who stays in the city so that we can support the local population. meanwhile the authorities have ordered some residents in nearby kupiansk to leave, because of russian shelling from across the border. our reporter has the story. russia is getting closer to its first major victory in half a year. in eastern ukraine it is the wagner group made up of tens of thousands of mercenaries and ex convicts that has spearheaded the defensive. they have cold on president zelensky to remove his troops from the city of bakhmut. translation: we have practically surrounded bakhmut, only one route out remains,
if earlier we were fighting against a professional army, now we are increasingly seeing old people and children. give them a chance to leave the city. the city is surrounded. bakhmut is a fairly small town. set in farmland. before the invasion it had a population of around 73,000 people. but moscow sees it as a stepping stone to seize bigger cities further west. president zelensky has admitted that the situation in bakhmut is becoming more and more difficult. in another blow for ukraine, kyiv has ordered the immediate partial evacuation of a town in the north east. families with children, people with disabilities, and those with mobility problems must leave, because of constant shelling by russian forces.
bigger cities further west. president zelensky has admitted that the situation in bakhmut is becoming more and more difficult. in another blow for ukraine, kyiv has ordered the immediate partial evacuation of a town in the north east. families with children, people with disabilities, and those with mobility problems must leave, because of constant shelling by russian forces. the city was liberated from russian occupation last september, but russia is trying to take it back. but there is some good news for kyiv. the us just announced another military aid package for ukraine, worth $400 million. together we work lockstep to supply critical security assistance to ukraine,