Russian troops trying to capture Bakhmut hit Ukrainian defenders from three sides. This is the longest and one of the bloodiest battles since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war..

Ukrainian authorities insist they will continue trying to maintain control over the city. Although the Ukrainian army here loses 100-200 people every day. Some are already saying the reason is more political and symbolic than practical.. The retreat from Bakhmut now, after many soldiers died defending it, will be a very hard reality to accept, writes The Guardian.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN that the retreat from Bakhmut would open the way for Russia to other cities - Konstantinovka and Kramatorsk..

“But soldiers on the ground and Western analysts think differently. A large number of deaths is considered one of the reasons why the Ukrainian leadership does not want to give up. And this is the reason why it is worth retreating,” the article says..

" Already prepared positions to which you can retreat. The reason why this hasn’t happened yet is a political thing,” said a deputy battalion commander named Andrei, standing next to a Soviet armored personnel carrier that was being repaired..

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On the second week of February, photos of the blown up bridge on the way from Bakhmut appeared. This bridge was in territory controlled by Ukrainian forces.. There were suggestions that Kyiv is preparing to retreat from the city. Military analysts say the logical location for a new line of defense lies away from Konstantinovka and Kramatorsk.. However, after moving here, Ukrainian soldiers would no longer be fired upon from three sides at the same time.. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) is convinced that even after the occupation of Bakhmut, Russian forces will not have “opportunities to take advantage of the tactical capture of the city”.

Western officials estimate that Russia lost 20-30 thousand soldiers in the battle for Bakhmut. But, despite this, Ukrainian losses can greatly affect the success of further Ukrainian operations.. Analysts in Moscow associated with the Russian Defense Ministry claim that 6-8 thousand Russian soldiers were killed in Bakhmut. Most of them are newly mobilized. However, they acknowledged that this figure may not be accurate.. Since the battles were mostly fought by Wagner mercenaries, who often do not take the bodies of their dead. In addition, among the mercenaries there are many recruited prisoners who are not properly registered..

The Guardian writes that the exact number of Ukrainian casualties in Bakhmut is unknown, since Kyiv does not disclose such information.. However, Ukrainian soldiers describe a very difficult picture. One of the commanders named Volodymyr Nazarenko on Ukrainian television called the situation " The head of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Oleksiy Danilov, said that for one dead Ukrainian soldier, there are seven Russian. At the same time, he claims that Ukrainian forces destroy more than a thousand enemies per day..

“It’s impossible to check Danilov’s figures. However, everything indicates that Ukrainian losses are high and amount to approximately 100-200 people per day,” the newspaper writes..

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“The problem is that Russians have a lot of people. You send a drone and see that they have five soldiers in one place. You strike, and 20 more come in their place,” said a Ukrainian field commander named Volodymyr.

UK MoD warns Bakhmut is 'under increasing pressure'. And supply routes for Ukrainian forces in the city are becoming increasingly limited.. However, Ukrainian commander Volodymyr Nazarenko rejects the idea of \u200b\u200ba retreat from Bakhmut. He thinks it would be immoral after so many losses..

\? Two days ago I returned with 5 people out of 20 including myself. If we do this, we can just give up the whole country,” Nazarenko said..

During a surprise visit to Bakhmut in early February, Zelensky called the city a " However, given the significant Ukrainian losses in the city, some see the stubborn defense of the city as a strategic mistake that could hurt Ukraine's hopes of a successful counter-offensive in the spring..

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An unnamed commander leading a unit near Bakhmut said Ukraine was using "

“Hopefully, when we look back at history, we will understand why it was done that way, what was the plan or strategy,” said a commander named Andrei.