By KYIV. May 15 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Over the last two days, the Ukrainian Defense Forces have advanced on the flanks around Bakhmut at a distance of 350 meters to 2 kilometers in some places, Spokesman for the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Serhiy Cherevaty has said.
“However, the enemy is putting up wild resistance. Over the current day, 34 clashes took place in Bakhmut direction, 479 times the enemy fired at our positions with different systems, different artillery. There were four air raids. During the fighting, our soldiers managed to destroy 149 invaders, injure 160, six were captured,” Cherevaty said on the air of a nationwide telethon on Monday.
According to him, two infantry fighting vehicles, two armored vehicles, three unmanned enemy vehicles and a field warehouse with ammunition were also shot down during the day.
“The enemy is trying… to capture the city itself, making incredible efforts to do this. Our soldiers hold the defense there, showing the heights of courage, heroism, endurance and ingenuity. And when it becomes possible to attack the enemy on the flanks, this is all done. And this is part of a defense operation, which has been going on for many months. An operation aimed at exhausting the enemy,” Cherevaty said, commenting on the fact that the successes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are more noticeable on the flanks.
“In fact, Bakhmut is now a point of a certain bifurcation, a point of solution to this conflict, because if the enemy does not find an opportunity to replenish its forces there, then we will simply destroy it,” Cherevaty said.
