Ukrainian defenders will not leave Bakhmut as long as it is possible to defend the city, General Staff spokesman Andrei Kovalev said on the air of the telethon.

He stressed that the situation in Bakhmut is under control, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are rebuffing the Russian military.

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According to a representative of the General Staff, Soledar was razed to the ground by the Russian troops, so it was decided to leave the city.

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The Institute for the Study of War calls the defense of Bakhmut strategically correct, despite its cost for Ukraine. Although further efforts in this direction will be significant and will be accompanied by similar counteroffensive efforts in other sectors, Kyiv would pay a significant price for the capture of Bakhmut by Russian troops..