Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that the situation at the military ground is currently “And more difficultnear Bakhmaut in eastern Ukraine, days after Russian-backed forces announced the closure of the town. “The most serious situation remains in Donetsk and Luhansk regionsIn the industrial basin of Donbass, Mr. Zelensky said in his daily news. “Very tough near Bagmouth like previous days. We still hold our positions“, he added.

Russian-backed separatist forces in Ukraine’s Donetsk region said Thursday they had captured two nearby villages, Obidin and Ivangrad. Russian forces have been on the offensive for weeks, hoping to capture Bagmouth, a city once home to 70,000 people.

“Now is our life”

In Chasiv Yar, about fifteen kilometers from Bagmouth, AFP journalists spoke to a soldier who had just returned from the front line in the region. “For several days I did not sleep, eat or drink anything except coffee“, said this 50-year-old soldier of the 93rd Regiment, nicknamed”.fake“.

Read moreWar in Ukraine: Could power outages allow Russian military to regain advantage?

“Out of 13 people in my team, we lost two players and five were sent off“, continued this soldier, slightly wounded by shrapnel and showing signs of exhaustion. “Now let’s do anything for our life and our country“, he repeated, almost on the verge of tears. For weeks, Ukrainian troops have been retaking large swaths of territory in southern and eastern Ukraine.