The battered city's importance has been questioned. But officials in Kyiv and a bereaved mother explain why they feel surrender is not an option.
’s strategic importance, and worry that Ukraine — whose nimble, lightning counteroffensives saw it recapture swaths of territory late last year — may be pouring valuable resources into a grinding battle that will undermine fresh offensives planned for the spring.
A shrine to Oleksander Matsievsky, who was killed in action near Bakhmut on Dec. 30 according to Ukraine's security services.“We have no other option but to continue fighting. All this blood that was lost cannot be lost in vain. We need to continue defending ourselves,” she said. But according to Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Kyiv has Moscow’s forces just where it wants them.
The Kremlin has made capturing Ukraine’s industrial heartland the focus of its campaign but has appeared to make scant progress toward that goal in the first few months of the year.
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