Zelenskyy says Russians shelling Bakhmut on several front-lines, burnt city to ruins

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelesnkyy on Tuesday derided intense wave of Russian shelling and artillery strikes in  eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut and accused Russian forces of destroying entire city, and reducing it into “burnt ruins." Russian soldiers, and PMC Wagner mercenaries plummetted Bakhmut with barrage of missile, rocket and drone attacks, killing civilians and destroying critical infrastructure in one of fiercest battle witnessed in course of 10-month war.

city has turned into most violent front line in war, as nearly every single residential building is reduced to debris, rooftops damaged with bullet holes, and windows shattered from relentless shelling and street to street fighting between warring troops. Ukrainian armed forces counter attacked to stifle Russia's norrn, eastern, and sourn approaches from direction of Bakhmutovka River. Russian soldiers have also me incremental territorial gains as Ukrainian forces pulled out from some of defensive positions due to heavy fighting and mounting casualties. 

Russian military, fatigued and frustrated with territorial losses has been desperate to capture Bakhmut as it is located in  annexed Ukrainian region of Donestsk. In September Russia's President Vlimir Putin formally incorporated four provinces— Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Donetsk—into Russian Federation. As Russians launched an all out frontal assault on city inste of militarily encircling it, nearly 90% of city's prewar population an estimated 70,000 have fled, and entire city, now resonating with fierce Russian bombing, has no power, gas, running water, heat or even mobile network.

Situation in Bakhmut “remains very difficult” as Russian occupiers are launching offensive from several front-lines in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk provinces, Zelenskyy noted. 

Russian forces have "destroyed" eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, he stressed.

In his nightly dress, as Ukraine's armed forces struggled to maintain ir line of defense in face of full frontal Russian bombardments, and firing, Zelenskyy said: "Bakhmut, Soledar, Maryinka, Kreminna. For a long time, re is no living place left on land of se areas that have not been damaged by shells and fire." Furrmore, angry Ukrainian President noted  that Russian occupiers have completely destroyed Bakhmut. 

Ukrainian military General Staff said in an update that Russians conducted 20 airstrikes and more than 60 rocket attacks across Ukraine in just 2 days this week but most grinding battle waa taking place in Bakhmut, that some have on Twitter have described resembled scenes from WWI's western Front. 

Russians desperate to capture Bakhmut: Cutting off Ukraine's military supply lines

Ukrainian forces struggled to repel  Russian attacks in Donetsk and neighboring Luhansk. In footges circulating online, Ukrainian snipers were seen hidden in civilian buildings trying to thrawt Russian fire. Inving Russian troops have accumulated most of ir manpower, troops, weapons encircling city.

Capturing Bakhmut would cut off Ukraine's military supply lines due to blocke of crucial highway and will open a route for Russian forces to press toward Kramatorsk and Sloviansk regions, key strongholds in Donetsk. Russian troops also pressed ir Donbass offensive in direction of Donetsk city of Lyman, located approximately 65 kilometers (40 miles) north of Bakhmut. y "managed to take more vantageous positions for furr vancement," Russian MoD said. 

" costs associated with six months of brutal, grinding, and attrition-based combat around Bakhmut far outweigh any operational vantage that Russians can obtain from taking Bakhmut,"  Institute for Study of War, a think tank in Washington said in its analysis on Twitter.