Donetsk Oblast Military Administration says "all sorts of scenarios" possible in Bakhmut
Pavlo Kyrylenko, Head of Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, has said it is possible that Russian forces might capture Bakhmut, but he remains sceptical regarding the possibility of Russia’s plans to seize all of Donetsk Oblast.
Source: Pavlo Kyrylenko in an interview with Radio Svoboda (Radio Liberty)
Quote from Kyrylenko: "All sorts of scenarios are possible. But we are acting in accordance with the orders we receive. Our military personnel are all holding our defence lines. All possible measures to prevent this [i.e., to prevent the capture of Bakhmut - ed.] are being taken.
[...] The defence of our land, territory and the sovereignty of our state are no doubt the top priorities for the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the military command, but we also know that the lives of our defenders are another top priority. So, excuse my language, but we will not use our defenders as cannon fodder.
Bakhmut still stands. We are doing everything we can to defeat enemy forces and diminish their offensive capabilities."
Details: When asked about Russia’s intentions to capture all of Donetsk Oblast by March, Kyrylenko said that the "enemy should not be underestimated", but "we must take all facts into account and understand the current circumstances".
"Enemy forces wanted to reach the administrative border of Luhansk Oblast by last May and capture all of Donetsk Oblast by July [2022] at the latest. Their deadline for capturing Bakhmut was September 2022; since then, any such deadlines have been quite blurred. These are the facts," Kyrylenko explained.
He added that he counts on "focusing all efforts" on defence fortifications and the military command’s "clear, unified and coordinated actions" to defend Donetsk Oblast.
"And I’ll say that [Russia’s] plans for July and September [2022]...The majority of Donetsk Oblast had been occupied. Taking into account the fact that the Lyman and Sviatohirsk hromadas have been liberated, nearly 52% of Donetsk Oblast are currently under Ukraine’s control, under the control of the Ukrainian government, and, most importantly, under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. So we will defend our land for as long as needed," Kyrylenko said.
Background: Bakhmut has been one of the hottest spots on the contact line for the past several months. The city has been under constant attack since July 2022, with Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner Group playing a particularly important role in the area.
Military analysts report that capturing Bakhmut would be a symbolic victory for Russia but is unlikely to bring it a significant strategic advantage.
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