In the case of establishing control over Bakhmut, Russian troops will have an “open road” to other key cities in eastern Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in an interview with CNN, Ukrinform reports.
“This is tactical for us… “We understand that after Bakhmut they could go further. They could go to Kramatorsk, they could go to Sloviansk, it would be open road for the Russians after Bakhmut to other towns in Ukraine, in the Donetsk direction… That’s why our guys are standing there,” Zelensky said.
According to him, Ukraine’s motivations to keep the city are “so different” to Russia’s objectives.
“We understand what Russia wants to achieve there. Russia needs at least some victory – a small victory – even by ruining everything in Bakhmut, just killing every civilian there,” Zelensky said.
He also said that if Russia is able to “put their little flag” on top of Bakhmut, it would help “mobilize their society in order to create this idea they’re such a powerful army.”
At the same time, the President stressed it is necessary “to think about our people first and no one should be surrounded, encircled – this is very important.”
“The military sees for themselves that we have to stay strong there despite the fact that Russia ruined the whole city and everything there,” Zelensky said.
The President also commented on a video showing the execution of a Ukrainian soldier by Russian forces for saying “Glory to Ukraine!” According to Zelensky, this shows “the Russian attitude towards POWs.”
“They don’t have any laws of war or international law or any conventions. It’s a question that these people – they don’t respect anything. They don’t fight like soldiers,” he said.
Instead, according to him, for Ukraine, this war is for its freedom, for democracy, for values.
“For them it’s terrorism – that’s the attitude. And they post this video…. This is the face of this war. This is the face of the Russian Federation,” he added.
