Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine's Land Forces and Eastern Operational Command, ordered to send more troops to Bakhmut following his trip to the front line on Feb. 25.
Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar reported this on Feb. 28 during a TV news marathon.
"Bakhmut has been the epicenter of hostilities for several months now," Maliar said. "The enemy has concentrated its key efforts there because it aims to reach the borders of Donetsk Oblast."
During his visit on Feb. 25, Syrskyi evaluated the condition of combat units in the region and heard concerns and appeals presented by their commanders.
Ukraine continues to hold Bakhmut despite the seven-month-long Russian attempt to capture the city. Approximately 380 clashes have been recorded in the area since the beginning of February, General Oleksiy Hromov said on Feb. 23.
According to Hromov, Russia's objective may be to capture the "critical towns" of Donetsk Oblast soon and take control of the Donbas - a key industrial region consisting of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts - before summer.
