The loss of Bakhmut would mean a step forward for the Russian army, to larger cities such as Kramatorsk and Slovyansk, and then to the borders of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said in an interview with Die Welt.
"The Russians are well aware that Bakhmut will open the way to Slovyansk and Kramatorsk. Slovyansk is not a metropolis, but Kramatorsk is a large city. And this is their very big goal in eastern Ukraine. Every small town like Bakhmut that the Russians take brings them closer to big cities. I'm not saying that Kramatorsk and its residents are more important than Bakhmut, no. But every small town we lose means a step forward for the Russian army, which - as we already know - wants to capture the administrative boundaries of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. This is the reason why we are putting up such a strong resistance in Bakhmut," Zelenskyy said.
At the same time, he pointed out that the Armed Forces of Ukraine had not received orders to hold their positions in Bakhmut until their last breath.
"As for Bakhmut, this is not an order for the troops to hold the position to the death. There was no such order at all. This war is not about staying and dying, but we are in our country and we will defend it as long as we can," Zelenskyy said.