Ukrainian president says no part of country can be abandoned

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said there is no part of Ukraine about which one can say it can be abandoned, referring to a decision of the country’s military leadership to reinforce the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region.

“There is no part of Ukraine about which one can say that it can be abandoned. There is no Ukrainian trench in which the resilience and heroism of our warriors would be disregarded,” Zelenskyy said during an evening address late Monday.

Zelenskyy said that, during a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in Chief, he asked his commanders about their view on defense efforts in Bakhmut and whether they should withdraw from or reinforce the city, to which they responded to continue reinforcement efforts.

Noting that the decision was adopted unanimously by the Staff, Zelenskyy said he instructed Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi to “find the appropriate forces to help the guys in Bakhmut.”

“We are defending and will continue to defend every part of Ukraine. When the time comes, we will liberate every city and village of our country. And we will hold the occupier accountable for every shot against Ukraine, for every meanness against Ukrainians,” Zelenskyy further said.

Bakhmut is a large transport hub in the east of Ukraine through which Ukrainian troops in the Donbas are supplied with weapons, military equipment, and ammunition. The city is one of the key hot spots in the front line between Kyiv and Moscow, which have been at war for more than a year.