Ukraine's Defence Minister explains importance of Bakhmut's defence and announces huge Russian losses

Ukraine's Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov has said that Russia's offensive is in full swing, but the Russians are quickly exhausting their offensive capabilities due to the Ukrainian forces' defence of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast.

Source: Reznikov in an interview with the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza; Interfax-Ukraine

Quote: "Their losses are enormous. According to our military estimates, on the Bakhmut front alone, the Russians are losing an average of 500 people (killed or wounded) per day. This means that they are quickly exhausting their offensive capabilities there.

Hence the key decision made by our command: to hold Bakhmut despite our own losses. Because its defence limits the Russians' capabilities and gives us stability along the entire front line.

Will the occupiers be able to intensify their attacks? We'll see. They need success."

Details: Commenting on what some experts have said about the inexpediency of defending Bakhmut, Reznikov said that "the city and the hills next to it are a convenient area for defence".

"If we were to withdraw from it, it would mean we would have to defend ourselves in another place that does not have such a convenient form of terrain," the Defenсe Minister explained.

According to Reznikov, the Russians have identified a narrow section of the front line in Donbas where they have concentrated their efforts, including well-trained Wagnerites who are being used "as cannon fodder".

Quote: "I believe that the offensive [of the Russians – ed.] is in full swing – but their plan was to break through the front in the area of Bakhmut and attack with full-scale forces of aviation, artillery and armoured vehicles to occupy the entire Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts. This is important for them politically.

They wanted to show that at least one of the objectives announced by Putin at the beginning of the invasion had been achieved. But this did not happen, and Bakhmut remains our fortress."

Details: Reznikov noted that Ukraine already has sufficient artillery capabilities thanks to arms supplies from the West.

"We call it an ‘artillery zoo’ because we have systems from different countries, including the effective Polish Krab," the minister added.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!