- Alice Davies
- BBC News
Civilians take refuge in a relief center in Bakhmut
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the situation in the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, on the eastern front, had become “more difficult”.
“The enemy continues to destroy everything that we can use to protect our positions,” Zelensky said.
And the commander of the Ukrainian ground forces, Alexander Sersky, admitted on Tuesday that the situation was “very tense” around the city of Pakhmut in eastern Ukraine, which the Russians have been trying to seize since the summer.
“The enemy has sent the most prepared units of (the armed group) Wagner, which are trying to breach the defenses of our forces and besiege the city,” the army’s official media center quoted Sirsky as saying.
The Ukrainian comments come as US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned China against arming Russia during her visit to Kiev on Monday.
The city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region – part of which is under the control of Russia and its loyal separatists – saw the fiercest fighting since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Recently, the efforts of the Russian forces to seize the industrial city have intensified, with the progress they have made on the ground.
The commander of the separatist forces in what is known as the Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushilin, said that “all roads” leading to the city are under “the control of (Russian) fire”.
For his part, the commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, Colonel General Oleksandr Sersky, said that the situation around Bakhmut was “very tense”.
Gen. Sirsky said: “Despite the heavy losses, the enemy pushed the most prepared offensive units in the “Wagner” group, which is trying to break through the defenses of our forces and surround the city.
Speaking about the field situation, Zelensky said during his evening speech that the renewed Russian attack undermined the possibility of gaining a foothold in Bakhmut, and ensuring its defense.
He expressed his “gratitude to everyone still standing heroically” in the area.
Zelensky renewed his request for fighter jets, saying they were to defend “the entire territory of our country from Russian terrorism.”
On her surprise visit to Kiev, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announced the latest financial aid of $1.25 billion to help Ukraine’s budget and economy.
And she repeated the message of US President Joe Biden – which he revealed last week during his visit to Kiev – that Washington will stand by Ukraine, no matter how long it takes until it wins the war.
image copyright AFP
US Treasury Secretary (right) during her surprise visit to Kiev on Monday
Yellen said, in an interview with CNN, that although the Russian economy has not yet collapsed in light of the wide sanctions imposed by Western powers on Russia, she expects it to weaken over time.
She stated that Russia’s ability to renew military equipment that was consumed in the attacks on Ukraine is “gradually endangered,” and added that any move by China to supply Russia with such weapons would have “serious” consequences.
“We have been very clear that we will not tolerate systematic violations by any country of the sanctions that we have put in place to deny Russia access to the military hardware to wage this war,” Yellen said.
“We have been very clear with the Chinese government and have made it clear to Chinese companies and financial institutions that the repercussions of violating these sanctions will be very severe,” she added.
Last week, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that China was studying the possibility of supplying weapons and ammunition to Russia. But Beijing has strongly denied the allegations.
Many saw Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi last week as a sign of China’s close ties with Russia.
A staunch Putin ally, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, is due to start a three-day state visit to China on Tuesday. During his visit, he is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.