German tabloid speculates Zelenskyy and Commander-in-Chief disagree on Bakhmut strategy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appears to have had a dispute with Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, over the battle for the city of Bakhmut, which has been under repeated Russian attacks since summer 2022.

Source: Bild, a German tabloid newspaper, citing sources in Kyiv’s political leadership

Quote from Bild: "Several weeks ago, Zaluzhnyi recommended considering a withdrawal from Bakhmut due to tactical considerations."

Details: In late February, President Zelenskyy said that Russian occupation forces were putting "insane pressure" on Ukrainian troops on the Bakhmut front.

On 3 March, Oleksii Danilov, Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, said that the situation on the Bakhmut front was very difficult, but under control.

Background:

• On 5 March, the Institute for the Study of War concluded, based on their analysis, that Russian forces would not be able to encircle Bakhmut in the coming days.
• On 6 March, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said that the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut was of more symbolic than operational importance, and its fall would not necessarily mean that Moscow had regained the initiative in the war.

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