Commander on Bakhmut: 'Dynamic' fighting continues, city still stands

Russia is concentrating "the largest number of forces" in Donetsk Oblast's Bakhmut, but Ukrainian defenders "hold back the enemy onslaught," Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine's Land Forces, said on April 19.

Bakhmut remains "the epicenter" of the Russian offensive as "dynamic" fighting for the eastern city continues, Syrskyi said on Telegram.

Ukraine's military is inflicting "significant" losses on Russian troops in the area, the commander added.

In addition to the manpower and equipment, Ukrainian air defense units reportedly destroyed two Russian drones of Orlan and ZALA types overnight.

The battle of Bakhmut has been raging for the past nine months as the Russian military attempts to increase its grip over the entirety of the oblast, around half of which it currently occupies. Both sides have sustained heavy casualties.

As of mid-April, Ukrainian forces continue to hold parts of the city, west of the railway line, while Russian forces led by the Wagner Group have reportedly taken the administrative center.

The U.K. Defense Ministry wrote in its April 18 intelligence update that Russia had likely reduced troop numbers around the occupied city of Donetsk, diverting resources toward Bakhmut.

Hell in high definition: Inside front-line aerial unit surveilling battle of Bakhmut

Editor’s Note: The Ukrainian soldiers featured in this article are identified by first names and callsigns to protect their identities. BAKHMUT, Donetsk Oblast – On the screen of a large handheld remote control, a Ukrainian drone operator scans a gray, washed-out landscape of ruined houses and mudd…

Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell