ukrainian and russian forces are fighting in the northern suburbs of the city of bakhmut which has been battered by seven months of fighting. oleksandr marchenko, the deputy mayor, confirmed the street clashes, but said the russians haven t taken control. western analysts say the scene has been set for ukrainian forces to carry out a fighting withdrawal. a british defence ministry update said ukrainian soldiers are digging new trenches west of the city and are being reinforced by elite troops. the capture of bakhmut would be the first russian victory of note in more than six months of fighting. meanwhile, according to the supreme commander of nato troops in europe, general christopher cavoli said the scale of the war is unbelivable with 2,000 large battle tanks destroyed, more than 200,000 russian soldiers and over 1,800 officers killed or wounded. 0ur diplomatic correspondent, james landale, sent this report from the capital, kyiv. this is bakhmut or at least what is lef
the capture of bakhmut would be the first russian victory of note in more than six months of fighting. our diplomatic correspondent, james landale, sent this report from the capital, kyiv. this is bakhmut, or at least what is left of it, after some of the fiercest fighting since russia invaded ukraine. for more than six months, russian shells and missiles have rained down on the city. thousands of russian soldiers have died trying to seize it and now their commanders are growing increasingly confident. translation: we have - almost surrounded bakhmut. there is only one road that remains in and out of the city. the pincers are closing. before we were fighting a professional ukrainian army but now we fight against old men and boys. ukrainian forces are still defending the city street by street and reports suggest reinforcements are being sent in. but these russian troops say the ukrainian army is destroying bridges like these, potentially to prepare for what western analysts ca
controlled by any one country. ukrainian and russian forces are fighting in the northern suburbs of the city of bakhmut which has been battered by seven months of fighting. oleksandr marchenko, the deputy mayor, confirmed the street clashes, but said the russians haven t taken control. western analysts say the scene has been set for ukrainian forces to carry out a fighting withdrawal. a british defence ministry update said ukrainian soldiers are digging new trenches west of the city and are being reinforced by elite troops. the capture of bakhmut would be the first russian victory of note in more than six months of fighting. our diplomatic correspondent, james landale, sent this report from the capital, kyiv. this is bakhmut, or at least what is left of it after some of the fiercest fighting since russia invaded ukraine. for more than six months russian shells and missiles have rained down on the city, thousands of russian soldiers have died trying to seize it, now their co
To do really well. would the loss of bakhmut be a significant setback? there is argument over how strategically useful it is. i think the ukrainians, at a strategic level, are still playing a blinder. bakhmut is now ruined so putin is welcome to it, i think, in that regard. unfortunately there has been more of a blood sacrifice, which has made it more politically significant, and that s why you have seen such a stand off on both sides. but strategically if you zoom out the map it doesn t matter in the grand scheme of things. even in the battle in the east, it has really been about sucking in resources on the russian side and giving the ukrainians the best chance of destroying those resources in a set piece battle. the head of the united nations nuclear watchdog
More of a blood sacrifice, which has made it more politically significant, and that s why you have seen such a stand off on both sides. but strategically if you zoom out the map it doesn t matter in the grand scheme of things. even in the battle in the east, it has really been about sucking in resources on the russian side and giving the ukrainians the best chance of destroying those resources in a set piece battle. as you zoom out, the ukrainians are sure to have prepared defensive lines further west towards kramatorsk, the next big city to the west. the land between and bakhmut and kramatorsk rises if you go in a straight line. that is a good area. higher land is easier to defend so i would imagine they would be establishing defensive lines around there. the special oil which will be used to anoint king charles at his coronation in may has been