Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has ordered reinforcements to be deployed to Bakhmut amid rumors that Kyiv's forces were withdrawing from the region amid Russian aggression.
Zelensky vowed to defend the city against Moscow's troops and added that they would find the people responsible for the death of an unarmed Ukrainian soldier in Russian captivity. The incident was caught on video, prompting Ukrainian officials to call it a war crime.
Ukrainian Withdrawal from Bakhmut?
Furthermore, the Ukrainian military said that it successfully destroyed a surveillance tower located in the Russian border region of Bryansk with the help of a drone. On the other hand, Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed bilateral cooperation, which includes "joint infrastructure projects" alongside Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
Zelensky noted that the reinforcements were sent to Bakhmut because they would not abandon any part of Ukraine alone to defend against Russia's forces. As per CNN, he added that the decision was finalized after he consulted with the military staff.
The Ukrainian president also seemed to address rumors that Ukrainian troops were withdrawing from the city, which he called "disinformation messages." He said that they came from those who did not have access to the confidential decision-making briefings where such decisions would be made and discussed.
The official noted that they were defending and will continue to defend every part of the country and, in time, will liberate every city and village from Russian control. Zelensky also warned that they would make Russia answer for every shot taken against Ukraine and for every evil act against the Ukrainian people.
On the other hand, the unarmed Ukrainian soldier killed on video was wearing combat fatigues and smoking a cigarette near what appeared to be a fighting position. The man could be seen pulling the cigarette from his mouth and said, "Slava Ukraini," which means "Glory to Ukraine," before shots came from outside of the camera's view and hit him.
Russia's Continued Aggression
Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War think tank on Sunday said that Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut seemed to have been conducting what they called a "limited tactical withdrawal." However, they noted that it was still too early to determine the intention of Kyiv's troops in the region, according to CNBC.
Furthermore, the ISW said that Ukrainian forces were not expected to withdraw from Bakhmut all at once, adding that they could pursue a gradual fighting withdrawal to exhaust Russian forces by continuing urban warfare.
Based on released data, the United Nations noted that there had been a confirmed 8,173 civilian death toll while 13,620 others were injured amid the Russia-Ukraine war. However, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights argued that the number is higher because of the delay in fatality reports.
On the other hand, the head of Russia's Wagner private army said that they could not get the required ammunition from Moscow to take control of Bakhmut. The region has been under constant fighting for several months, said BBC.