Security Council Secretary assures that there is no question of Bakhmut's siege

The Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), Oleksii Danilov, assures that there is currently no question of the siege of the city of Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, by Russian forces.

Source: Danilov on air during the national joint 24/7 newscast, Ukrinform reports

Quote: "Today, the siege of Bakhmut is not [even] being discussed. But we understand that the situation is not easy. That is why a collective decision is made, what to do on this or that front, in what way to strengthen this front, and these issues are discussed precisely at a Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief meeting."

Details: According to the head of the National Security Council, this issue was discussed at the Staff meeting for at least 1.5 hours on Monday.

Quote: "If Bakhmut had not held on, then keep in mind that the defence of our country would have been taking place in completely different cities. And Bakhmut, which has really become a fortress for the last four months, is an important thing for the defence of our entire state. We are aware of what is happening there. I emphasise once again, it is very, very important for us."

More details: Danilov noted that the society will be informed about any decisions of the authorities regarding Bakhmut. "We are not going to hide anything. The situation in this area is difficult, but, as our military says, difficult but controlled," the NSDC secretary assured.

Background: Bild, a German tabloid newspaper, citing sources in Kyiv’s political leadership, reported that 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. 

Allegedly, several weeks ago, Zaluzhnyi recommended considering a withdrawal from Bakhmut due to tactical considerations

Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, visited the units defending the city of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast on 5 March and stated that the fighting for the city had reached its peak.

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