New Delhi: In a bid to encircle the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, the Russian troops on Tuesday stepped up their assault making the situation "extremely tense," the commander of Ukrainian ground forces said.
Russia is attempting to cut the Ukrainian defenders' supply lines to the city in order to compel them to surrender or retreat, according to Reuters. This would be Russia's first big victory in more than half a year and pave the way for the capture of the Donetsk region's last surviving urban centres.
"Despite significant losses, the enemy threw in the most prepared assault units of Wagner, who are trying to break through the defences of our troops and surround the city," Ukraine's Colonel general Oleksandr Syrskyi was quoted as saying on a military messaging platform.
Earlier, Ukraine's military stated that Russia had increased its soldiers in the Bakhmut area and was shelling settlements around the city.
Why is Bakhmut so important to Russia?
Bakhmut is located on a strategic supply line between Donetsk and Luhansk, the two separatist-held regions in Ukraine’s Donbas region, which Russia claimed to have annexed a few months ago.
Retired air vice-marshal Sean Bell told Sky News, "Bakhmut is not a significant military target" but set in the context of the Russian effort to capture all of the Donbas.
According to the experts, the capture of Bakhmut will give Russia a platform to launch a broader campaign across many parts of Ukraine.
The UK's Ministry of Defence said that capturing the city would have "limited operational value" to Moscow, though it added it would "potentially allow Russia to threaten the larger urban areas of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk".
"If they occupied Bakhmut, then we would be semi-encircled, because on the left side we have the Siverskyi Donets river, and the enemy will advance from the right, and it is possible to cut us off if they reach the Bakhmut highway," deputy Siversk battalion commander said as per news agency Reuters.
The Battle
Ukrainian military on Tuesday said that "Over the past day, our soldiers repelled more than 60 enemy attacks," referring to Bakhmut and nearby eastern areas, adding that forces repelled Russian attacks on the villages of Yadhidne and Berkhivka, on the northern approaches to Bakhmut.
Russia has intensified its attacks along the eastern front but its assaults have come at a high cost, Ukraine and its allies said, according to Reuters.
"Vicious battles are going on there. The command is doing everything it can to stop the enemy from advancing through our territory," Serhiy Cherevatyi, a spokesperson for Ukraine's eastern military command, told Ukrainian television.
Russia claimed that its forces had destroyed a Ukrainian ammunition depot near Bakhmut and shot down U.S.-made rockets and Ukrainian drones.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, on the other hand, became the latest Western official to visit the Ukrainian capital, promising assistance and more measures to isolate Russia after meetings with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other officials.
In his visit last week, Biden promised $500 million in additional military support for Ukraine and new sanctions on Russia later, including effectively banning US imports of Russian aluminum.
(With inputs from agencies)