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Zelensky says Ukraine’s tough fighting in the east has allowed time for critical reinforcements.
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/01/10/world/russia-ukraine-news/zelensky-says-ukraines-tough-fighting-in-the-east-has-allowed-time-for-critical-reinforcements?smid=url-share
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine says he plans to send more troops and some of the newest weapons provided by allies to the eastern region of Donbas, where some of the toughest fighting of the nearly yearlong war is taking place in and near Bakhmut.
“The battle for Donbas continues,” Mr. Zelensky said in his nightly address to the nation on Monday. “And although the invaders have now concentrated their greatest efforts on Soledar, the result of this difficult and long battle will be the liberation of our entire Donbas.”
As the city has become the epicenter of one of the war’s most brutal campaigns, “Hold Bakhmut” has emerged as a rallying cry in Ukraine. Russian forces have fought to encircle Bakhmut by gaining control of nearby towns and villages, including Soledar, which lies along the front line, about six miles to the northeast. On Monday, the Russian mercenary Wagner Group claimed to have taken the nearby village of Bakhmutske, while Ukraine said that it had repelled Russian attempts to storm Soledar itself.
On Monday, a U.S. official told reporters that the Wagner Group was using fighters recruited from Russian prisons as cannon fodder in the battle, positioning them to essentially take the brunt of the Ukrainian fire while the group’s more seasoned fighters moved in behind them to claim ground. The fighting was “severe and savage,” the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational details.
The fight for Soledar has gone on since the summer, giving Ukrainian forces time to dig defensive positions in the area. Mr. Zelensky painted a bleak picture of the battle’s toll: “Everything is completely destroyed. There is almost no life left,” he said, adding that “the whole land near Soledar is covered with the corpses of the occupiers and scars from the strikes.”
But the president emphasized that the Ukrainian Army’s resilience had bought critical time for reinforcements to be secured and sent to the front lines. Mr. Zelensky described the reinforcements as including “new combat means and equipment” received from Ukraine’s allies. “I am sure that our warriors will have these weapons and equipment at the front,” he said. “Very soon.”
Mr. Zelensky has been on an aggressive campaign to secure military, financial and humanitarian aid, including a high-profile visit to Washington in December to push for continued support from the United States. On Monday, he met with officials from the Czech Republic, North Macedonia, Portugal and Slovenia to request more military support.
