Zelenskyy calls Bakhmut and Soledar 'bloodiest places on the front line' amid war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called the region of Bakhmut and Soledar one of the “bloodiest places on the front line”. The city of Bakhmut has been one of the most contested regions in the Russia-Ukraine war. The conflict-ridden city has witnessed a barrage of missile strikes from the Russian bloc. In one of his nightly addresses on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his concerns over the current situation on the front lines.

Speaking on the situation in the cities of Bakhmut and Soledar, Zelenskyy said, “There is no such piece of land near these two cities, where the occupier would not have given his life for the crazy ideas of the masters of the Russian regime. This is one of the bloodiest places on the frontline”. The two cities are located in the greater region of Donetsk which is one of the four regions Russia claims its own. 

“Bakhmut is holding out against all odds. And although most of the city is destroyed by Russian strikes, our warriors repel constant attempts at Russian offensive there,” said the Ukrainian President. Zelennskyy also assured the people of Ukraine that the Ukrainian troops deployed in the Soledar region are trying to hold their ground as the Russian wrath in the region persists. Both cities have witnessed turmoil for a very long time due to the presence of Russia-backed separatist groups since 2014.

Zelenskyy attacks Putin’s truce 

In his Sunday nightly address, the Ukrainian President also questioned the “36-hour truce” that Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed on the occasion of Christmas. “Russian shelling of Kherson with incendiary ammunition right after Christmas. Strikes on Kramatorsk and other cities of Donbas - exactly on civilian objects and exactly when Moscow reported on the alleged "silence" of their army”, said the Ukrainian President. “All this was when Moscow was talking about the alleged truce," Zelenskyy added. 

In his address, Zelesnkyy also mentioned the visit of Ukrainian General  Syrskyi to the city of Bakhmut and Soledar. The General visited the outskirts of the two conflict-ridden zones and honoured the frontline warriors for their resilience. The Ukrainian President made it clear that “no attempt by Russia to manipulate diplomacy and politics” will work as the Russia-Ukraine war escalates. Zelenskyy concluded his speech by saying, “Only the strengthening of Ukraine, only the successes of Ukraine, only the restoration of territorial integrity of Ukraine, only the return of all our people from Russian captivity are the guarantees of peace.”