Russia has switched to using “scorched earth” tactics in Bakhmut, a senior Ukrainian commander said Monday, as Russian forces continued to pound areas around the besieged town in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region with air strikes and artillery barrages.
Bakhmut has been dubbed the “meat-grinder” as thousands of soldiers have lost their lives fighting for it. The small city on the edge of a chunk of Russian-controlled territory in Donetsk has for months been the biggest battleground of the war, now in its second year.
“The enemy switched to so-called scorched earth tactics from Syria. It is destroying buildings and positions with air strikes and artillery fire,” said Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine’s ground forces.
Defense of the area has been buying time for Ukraine to build and regroup its forces, as part of a successful spring offensive. But Russia has gained ground in Bakhmut, as claimed by the Wagner Group, and the head of the Moscow-controlled part of Donetsk, Denis Pushilin, said Russian forces now held 75 percent of the city.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed last week that if his forces were to lose Bakhmut, Russia could “sell this victory” to the international community for a deal that would force Kyiv to make compromises.
As the battles ground on, Ukrainian officials played down a report that Kyiv was amending some plans for a counter-offensive due to a leak of classified U.S. documents. Last week, CNN News reported that Ukraine was forced to amend some military plans ahead of its long-anticipated counter-offensive because of the leak of Pentagon documents.
U.S. officials investigating the authenticity as well as the source of the leak of dozens of secret documents. They allegedly detail an array of topics, including information on the Ukraine conflict, U.S. aid efforts to Kyiv and spy efforts on Moscow, and even seemingly classified information about developments in allied countries. –i24 News
