Bakhmut

Kyiv's military may "strategically pull back," Alexander Rodnyansky, an economic adviser to the Ukrainian president, said.

The fall of Bakhmut would serve as a setback to Ukraine. First of all, a military man, so I will not comment on the orders of the Bakhmut defense command. [ Zelensky has vowed to protect Bakhmut](https://www.newsweek.com/battle-bakhmut-difficult-muddy-conditions-spring-1784972), saying it's important to hold on to the city, but not at any cost. He also showed what he said were prisoners of war asking Zelensky if they could go back home to their families. The city, located in Ukraine's Donetsk region, has become an important symbol of resistance. "So far, they've held the city, but if need be, they will strategically pull back," he said.

Yevgeny Prigozhin says his troops are fighting against old men and children in besieged eastern Ukraine town.

“Fighting continues in all areas of the city, the 93rd stands and continues to perform the tasks assigned to it. Also on Friday, the US indicated it was set to announce additional military aid for Ukraine in a $400m arms package expected to include ammunition for existing systems. They appeared to be talking in what looked like a choreographed appearance under extreme stress. Large amounts of military traffic were seen on nearby roads on Friday, and there were claims that several bridges near the city had been destroyed. The situation is actually complicated, but trust only official sources and do not panic.” He said he had been fighting there for 110 days.

Moscow has sent wave after wave of soldiers and Wagner Group mercenaries toward Ukrainian positions, sustaining heavy casualties. At several points, as Russian ...

[Scroll through portraits of Ukrainians reflecting on a year of loss, resilience and fear](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2023/ukraine-russia-anniversary-portraits/?itid=lk_inline_manual_1&itid=lb_one-year-of-russias-war-in-ukraine_2). [how to balance safety, duty and love](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2023/ukraine-war-anniversary-families-frontline/?itid=lk_inline_manual_4&itid=lb_one-year-of-russias-war-in-ukraine_4), with once-intertwined lives having become unrecognizable. Evidence abounds that the effort to isolate Putin has failed and that [sanctions haven’t stopped Russia](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/02/15/russia-sanctions-impact-ukraine-war/?itid=lk_inline_manual_5&itid=lb_one-year-of-russias-war-in-ukraine_7), thanks to its oil and gas exports. [suggests the world is far from united on issues raised by the Ukraine war](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/02/22/global-south-russia-war-divided/?itid=lk_inline_manual_5&itid=lb_one-year-of-russias-war-in-ukraine_6). Ukrainian officials have signaled in recent days the country’s forces may pull out of Bakhmut soon. Before the war, Bakhmut was mostly known as a center of the salt industry.

A still image taken from video released by the press service of Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin claims to shows Wagner fighters waving a flag atop a building ...

To read the original story by AP, click Hungary has further delayed a vote on ratifying Sweden and Finland's NATO accession bids, according to an updated schedule published on March 2 on the National Assembly's website, the latest in a series of postponements that have frustrated Western allies. To read the original story by Reuters, click [here](https://www.reuters.com/world/iaeas-grossi-travel-iran-seeking-breakthrough-cooperation-2023-03-02/). Others chanted "No to the Russian law!" astronauts, a Russian cosmonaut, and an Emirati have arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) after launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 2. The phrase "to hang noodles on someone's ears" in colloquial Russian means "to lie to someone." Germany has asked Switzerland to sell it some of its mothballed Leopard 2 tanks, the Swiss government said on March 3, in a deal that could allow Germany and other countries to increase military aid to Ukraine. The term "Romanian language" is intended to replace the currently used "Moldovan language," "official language," "state language," and "maternal language" in the constitution and all official documents. Germany wants Switzerland to sell some of the tanks back to manufacturer Rheinmetall, which would allow the company to backfill gaps in the armaments of European Union and NATO members. The case, which raises questions about free movement and citizenship rights under EU law, was first raised in a Romanian court in 2021 and has now been referred to the European Union Court of Justice. [Live Briefing](https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-crisis-crosshairs-live-briefing/31668477.html) gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. To read the original story by Reuters,

Volodymyr Nazarenko, a deputy commander in the National Guard of Ukraine, called the situation in Bakhmut "critical."

Moscow has been intensifying attacks to encircle Kyiv's troops as Volodymyr Zelenskiy considers retreat to a new defensive line.

In the battle for Bakhmut, an artillery and infantry engagement, drones are becoming increasingly valuable in complete contrast to the character of the rest of the fighting, which is closer to the conditions experienced in World War I than a 21st century conflict, according to analysts. In the sweep of the drone lens, which has a radius of six miles, Bakhmut is blanketed in gray from the smoke of several explosions. The Kremlin also deploys large numbers of these devices, and they are of good quality. This is the general rule in the Ukrainian military, but Yaroslav says Russian forces are trying harder to identify, locate and hunt down drone pilots. I’m staying,” the man shouts as he continues on his way, oblivious to the shaking of the ground and the permanent “I’m staying: the more of us there are and the more effective we are, the sooner this will end.” They only give their first names or an alias. And to ensure that, Kyiv may have to drop the defense of Bakhmut. It is not safe to walk through the deserted streets, where the feeling of being watched is ever-present. They arrive at one of their bases, just a mile from the Russian positions, deploy their material and their drone - a civilian DJI Matrice - connect the backup batteries, activate an Internet connection through the Starlink satellite network and start sweeping the area for Russian troops. That would open the door for the Kremlin to close its jaws around a mouthful of terrain, but in return, Kyiv would succeed in straightening the line on the eastern front. Russian forces now control several parts of the city and three of the flanks surrounding it. It is under constant attack by Russian troops, who are attempting to surround the city and cut off its only means of supply.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Russian mercenary group, says the city in Donetsk is almost completely surrounded.

Germany makes the Leopard tanks promised in January and expected to be the core of a new Ukrainian armoured force. “The task of our forces in Bakhmut is to inflict as many losses on the enemy as possible. Ukraine and its allies say the invasion was an unprovoked war of aggression. It recaptured swathes of territory in the second half of 2022, but its forces have now been on the defensive for three months. A bridge in the adjacent town of Khromove was damaged by Russian tank shelling It says it would be a stepping stone to capturing the surrounding Donbas region, an important Russian war aim.

Russian troops and mercenaries rained artillery on the last access routes to the besieged Ukrainian city of Bakhmut on Friday, bringing Moscow closer to its ...

The two men met briefly on the sidelines of a G20 foreign ministers meeting in India. The task of our forces in Bakhmut is to inflict as many losses on the enemy as possible. Ukraine and its allies say the invasion was an unprovoked war of conquest. "The time will come and you will rise." Every metre of Ukrainian land costs hundreds of lives to the enemy," he said. ["profound" support](/world/biden-scholz-get-into-weeds-ukraine-war-china-concerns-washington-2023-03-03/) on Ukraine. He called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to order a retreat from Bakhmut to save his soldiers' lives. A bridge in the adjacent town of Khromove was damaged by Russian tank shelling. Before the war Bakhmut was known for salt and gypsum mines. Russia says it would be a stepping stone to capturing the surrounding Donbas industrial region, an important war aim. To the west, Ukrainians were digging new trenches for defensive positions. "Only one route (out) is left," he said.

The commander of Ukraine's ground forces visited soldiers in Bakhmut for the second time in less than a week Friday, a reflection of the precarious position ...

There are three main arteries that provide vital lifelines for the thousands of Ukrainian soldiers fighting in and around the city. But the more immediate risk is that Russia will make it impossible to resupply the Ukrainian fighters in and around Bakhmut. They say the road from Bakhmut to Chasiv Yar — just a few miles to the west — now comes under regular shelling and Russian forces are launching assaults to try to close it off. At the height of the battle, Ukrainian officials estimated that hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers were being killed and wounded every day. Ukrainian officials point to the battles for Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk in the summer to explain their strategy. “Every meter of Ukrainian land costs hundreds of lives to the enemy.” Russia sends waves of infantry on foot to storm Ukrainian trench lines. Ukrainian medics at the front say they are treating dozens of their own wounded soldiers every day, an indication of the intensity of the fighting. Oleksandr Syrsky warned in a statement that Russia was throwing “the most prepared units” into the fight and said that he was assessing “problematic issues related to increasing the defense capability of our units on the front line.” The challenge is timing, ensuring that if a withdrawal becomes necessary, they can carry it out in a way that minimizes losses. Russia launched its offensive to take Bakhmut in August, and the fighting has rarely relented since. It is not the first time Prigozhin has made bold proclamations, many of which have proved false.

Numerous attacks have been repelled in the area of eastern Donetsk over the last 24 hours, Ukraine's military says. Russian forces claim they are about to ...

Ukraine's military have not publicly commented on the reported shortage of ammunition. He added that Kyiv also needed "a large quantity of shells" and war planes to "expel" Russian troops from Ukraine's territory. Both Ukraine and Russia are believed to be firing tens of thousands of artillery shells every day in what is seen as a high-intensity war of attrition in recent months. In his statement, America's top diplomat stressed that "the United States also continues to rally the world to support Ukraine" in defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the country's latest package included high-precision Himars artillery rockets and howitzers "which Ukraine is using so effectively". And the UK Ministry of Defence said Bakhmut is under "increasingly severe" pressure.

New video shows the aftermath of fighting near Bakhmut, Ukraine, where a critical supply line for Ukrainian forces has come under attack.

Ukraine strategically destroyed two bridges leading into Bakhmut in "likely" preparation for a withdrawal, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

[Russian military](https://www.newsweek.com/topic/russian-military) has been attempting to finish the job by hammering Ukrainian routes in and out of the city with artillery attacks, according to Reuters. ISW on Wednesday reported that geolocated footage showed Russian forces were closing in on the southern outskirts of Bakhmut. [indicated](https://www.newsweek.com/bakhmut-battle-russia-encircle-city-tense-1784359) that Ukraine would attempt to keep control of Bakhmut but acknowledged the possibility of withdrawing, stressing that Ukraine would not be willing to keep control "at any cost." A Ukrainian soldier told [CNN](https://www.newsweek.com/topic/cnn) that a Russian missile had [destroyed a bridge](https://www.newsweek.com/bakhmut-bridge-destroyed-ukraine-russia-war-1785430) that was a vital part of a supply route. ISW said Ukraine was preparing for a "controlled fighting withdrawal." [Wagner Group](https://www.newsweek.com/topic/wagner-group), said in a [video](https://www.newsweek.com/wagner-group-prigozhin-bakhmut-music-video-1785173) shared online Friday that the city was "practically surrounded" by Russian troops.

Ukrainian forces repelled numerous Russian attacks in Bakhmut over the past 24 hours, Kyiv said on March 4, despite claims by Moscow's mercenaries that the ...

Germany has asked Switzerland to sell it some of its mothballed Leopard 2 tanks, the Swiss government said on March 3, in a deal that could allow Germany and other countries to increase military aid to Ukraine. The phrase "to hang noodles on someone's ears" in colloquial Russian means "to lie to someone." Germany wants Switzerland to sell some of the tanks back to manufacturer Rheinmetall, which would allow the company to backfill gaps in the armaments of European Union and NATO members. The term "Romanian language" is intended to replace the currently used "Moldovan language," "official language," "state language," and "maternal language" in the constitution and all official documents. The case, which raises questions about free movement and citizenship rights under EU law, was first raised in a Romanian court in 2021 and has now been referred to the European Union Court of Justice. To read the original story by Reuters, [Live Briefing](https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-crisis-crosshairs-live-briefing/31668477.html) gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensives, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. The money, which he said will come in three phases, is crucial for the South Asian economy, which is facing a balance-of-payment crisis, with its central bank foreign exchange reserves dropping to levels barely able to cover three weeks of imports. "Society is in movement, and this movement flows under the skin of the city. and "Death to the dictator," a reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, from windows and rooftops as reports of illness continued to surface. To reach the original story from Reuters, click The visit was Garland’s second since Russia’s invasion began in late February 2022, and it comes on the heels of President Joe Biden’s dramatic visit to Kyiv on February 20.

Oleksandr Marchenko also told the BBC the remaining 4,000 civilians are living in shelters without access to gas, electricity or water. Mr Marchenko said "not a ...

"I believe we shouldn't give any inch of our land to the enemy," Mr Marchenko said. "We should protect our land, we should protect our people and we should protect the businesses that are on this land. "Currently there is no communication in the city so the city is cut out, the bridges are destroyed and the tactics the Russians are using is the tactic of parched land," Mr Marchenko told the Today programme. Mr Marchenko accused the Russians of having "no goal" to save the city and that it wanted to commit "genocide of the Ukrainian people". "There is fighting near the city and there are also street fights," Mr Marchenko said. Mr Marchenko said "not a single building" had remained untouched and that the city is "almost destroyed",

Ukrainian forces defending Bakhmut are facing increasingly strong pressure from Russian forces, British military intelligence said on Saturday, with intense ...

The battle for Bakhmut has raged for seven months. We will fight for as long as we can. Register for free to Reuters and know the full story

UK intelligence says Ukraine attempting to reinforce contested city with elite units but resupply lines increasingly limited.

Scholz told Biden that it was important that the US and Germany organised in “lockstep” since the Russian invasion of Ukraine last February. The US has announced a new military aid package of ammunition and other support for Ukraine worth $400m. Ukraine’s defence minister, Oleksii Reznikov, has said he is confident that western countries will supply fighter jets to Kyiv,and that he is optimistic that the war will end this year. Garland had traveled to the western city of Lviv on an invitation from the Ukrainian prosecutor general, USA Today reported officials saying. Ukraine is not a Nato member nation and Joe Biden said in the beginning he would not defend Ukraine because they’re not a Nato member nation. “As Nato allies, we’re making the alliance stronger and more capable,” Biden said. Russian troops retreated from key cities in the north-eastern Kharkiv region, including Kupiansk, and Ukraine recaptured it last September. So this places a real imperative on speeding up the supply, the integration, the logistics support, the training and all the other stuff that needs to be done to give the Ukrainians the tools they need to do the job.” To the west, Ukrainians were digging new trenches for defensive positions. and avoid the perception this is very much seen as a European war.” It doesn’t make sense and the American people do not support it.” Eight oligarchs have reported 31 asset positions to the Bundesbank so far, according to government figures.

Regular army and Wagner units advancing into northern suburbs of north-east Donetsk city, MoD reports.

They want to destroy Bakhmut, they want to destroy the city … The battle for Bakhmut has raged for seven months. the tactic that the Russians are using is the tactic of parched land. “If they’d had the stuff that they need months ago, we probably wouldn’t be where we are now. So this places a real imperative on speeding up the supply, the integration, the logistics support, the training and all the other stuff that needs to be done to give the Ukrainians the tools they need to do the job.” He said of the Russian attack: “Their only goal is killing people and the genocide of the Ukrainian people …

Russian artillery pounded the last routes out of Bakhmut on Friday, aiming to complete the encirclement of the besieged Ukrainian city and bring Moscow ...

military interventions around the globe, accused the United States of hypocrisy on Friday after Blinken said Moscow cannot be allowed to wage war in Ukraine with impunity. The task of our forces in Bakhmut is to inflict as many losses on the enemy as possible. Ukraine and its allies say the invasion was an unprovoked war of conquest. The two men met briefly on the sidelines of a G-20 foreign ministers meeting in India. "The time will come and you will rise." Every meter of Ukrainian land costs hundreds of lives to the enemy," he said. Russia says it would be a stepping stone to completing the capture of the Donbas industrial region, one of Moscow's most important objectives. He called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to order a retreat from Bakhmut to save his soldiers' lives. A bridge in the adjacent town of Khromove was damaged by Russian tank shelling. Before the war Bakhmut was known for salt and gypsum mines. approves $400 million military package for Ukraine](https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/03/live-updates-latest-news-on-russia-and-the-war-in-ukraine.html) [Ukrainian refugees find a new life in Germany after Russia's invasion](https://www.nbcnews.com/specials/russia-ukraine-war-refugee-family-one-year-later/) [Atomic Heart video game draws scrutiny from Ukrainian officials](https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/atomic-heart-video-game-draws-scrutiny-ukrainians-russia-ties-rcna72714) To the west, Ukrainians were digging new trenches for defensive positions.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the financier of the Wagner mercenary group fighting for Moscow, has claimed Russian troops have encircled Bakhmut, although Ukraine's ...

"A lot of artillery, attacking concentrations of Russian reinforcements & fire support will be required." The U.K. It is not clear if the men were captured soldiers or residents. The camera then turns to his right where three men are standing. "Give them an opportunity to leave the city. Do not ignore this request."

Ukraine sent elite units to reinforce the area, and two bridges in and around Bakhmut have been blown up in the past two days, including one that connects the ...

[Russia has made Bakhmut its main target in recent months](https://www.wsj.com/articles/wagner-chief-says-eastern-ukraines-bakhmut-is-effectively-surrounded-c7af41d6) and is seeking to cut the city off, advancing from the north, south and east. Ukraine sent elite units to reinforce the area, and two bridges in and around Bakhmut have been blown up in the past two days, including one that connects the city to the last main supply route to the town of Chasiv Yar to the west, the U.K. [Bakhmut](https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-presses-attempt-to-encircle-eastern-ukraines-bakhmut-7b195080?mod=article_inline) are placing severe pressure on Ukrainian forces there, the U.K.

KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian forces defending Bakhmut are facing increasingly strong pressure from Russian forces, British military intelligence said on ...

The battle for Bakhmut has raged for seven months. We will fight for as long as we can. Russian artillery pounded the last routes out of Bakhmut on Friday, aiming to complete the encirclement of the besieged city and bring Moscow closer to its first major victory in the war in six months.

With Russian forces closing in, police try to persuade remaining citizens to get out and access routes come under fire• Russia–Ukraine war: latest updates.

“There are now people who want to leave, but it’s hard to get them out.” Oleksandra Havrylko tries to explain the resistance of those who have refused to leave. “We are all locals and we’re all just holding on here. “All the roads are under fire.” “The grandfather wanted to evacuate but the mother didn’t. “Instead, it was a complete nightmare. “Units of the private military company Wagner have practically surrounded Bakhmut. The pincers are getting tighter,” said Prigozhin. “There are some cases where people equip their basements to make them more or less liveable. If the children don’t have parents but have a guardian, we can get permission from social services to take them out.” The law says we can only take children with permission of the parents. Last week that meant a visit to a village just outside Bakhmut. Their counterparts, the Dark Angels, take out the dead.

Bakhmut has for months been a key target of Moscow's grinding eastern offensive, with Russian troops inching closer to Kyiv's key eastern stronghold.

It said that a child was among those killed, and that the rescue effort was ongoing. Speaking to the AP on Saturday, Ishkova said that they suffered from a lack of food and basic utilities. It said Ukrainian troops may “conduct a limited and controlled withdrawal from particularly difficult sections of eastern Bakhmut,” while seeking to inhibit Russian movement there and limit exit routes to the west. A woman was killed and two men were badly wounded by shelling while trying to cross a makeshift bridge out of Bakhmut on Saturday, according to Ukrainian troops who were assisting them. “Humanitarian [aid] is given to us only once a month. Later, they saw at least five houses on fire as a result of attacks in Khromove.

The chief of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner says his fighters have practically encircled Bakhmut, the eastern Ukrainian city the Kremlin has ...

Yevgeny Prigozhin urged the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, to abandon the city. Prigozhin told him in his video message that his Wagner mercenaries had surrounded Bakhmut and that there was only one road out of the city. Ukrainian forces are fighting to keep Bakhmut under their control.

UK Ministry of Defense says 'intense fighting' is taking place around the city in the eastern Donetsk region.

Two major bridges in Bakhmut have been destroyed in the last 36 hours, making it harder for Ukrainian soldiers to move in and out of the city, it said. “The Wagner Group has essentially surrounded the city,” Prigozhin said, from a rooftop that Russian troops — bolstered by mercenaries working for the Wagner Group private military company — achieved further advances in the northern suburbs of the city, according to the U.K.

Pressure mounted Saturday on Ukrainian troops and civilians hunkering down in Bakhmut, as Kyiv's forces tried to help residents flee amid what Western ...

It said that a child was among those killed, and that the rescue effort was ongoing. However, Moscow’s invasion and Ukraine’s request for fast-track consideration have lent urgency to the negotiations. Speaking to the AP on Saturday, Ishkova said that they suffered from a lack of food and basic utilities. It said Ukrainian troops may “conduct a limited and controlled withdrawal from particularly difficult sections of eastern Bakhmut,” while seeking to inhibit Russian movement there and limit exit routes to the west. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited a command post of Russia’s Eastern forces, where he was briefed by regional commander Rustam Muradov, according to a video published by the ministry. Attorney General Merrick Garland and top European legal officials on how to hold Russia accountable for its actions in Ukraine. At the United Nations on Friday, deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said U.N. “Humanitarian (aid) is given to us only once a month. Later, they saw at least five houses on fire as a result of attacks in Khromove. Hours earlier, Zelenskyy held talks with U.S. The U.K. [Ukrainian withdrawal](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/ukrainian-official-says-military-may-pull-troops-from-bakhmut) from the eastern city that Russian forces have spent months trying to capture.