Commander: Ukraine considering every option in Bakhmut, will 'act adequately'

Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of the Ground Forces of Ukraine, visited the Bakhmut front line again, saying that the battlefield situation in the area is "consistently difficult," the Defense Ministry media center reported on March 27.

"We are considering all possible options for the development of events and will act adequately to the current situation," said Syrskyi.

In Ukraine's eastern Donetsk Oblast, the Land Forces commander accessed the front-line situation and made some operational decisions to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities, according to the report.

"The most intense phase of the battle for Bakhmut continues… The enemy suffers significant losses in human resources, weapons, and military equipment but continues to conduct offensive actions," Syrskyi said. "Our defenders heroically restrain the enemy's onslaught in extremely difficult conditions and leave no chance for the enemy to realize their plans."

The defense of Bakhmut is justified by the "military necessity" and based on the competent use of the city's defensive capabilities, erected fortifications, and equipped fire structures, the commander added.

The battle for Bakhmut, a city in Donetsk Oblast, has been raging for the past eight months. The Russian military is attempting to increase its grip over the entirety of the oblast, around half of which it currently occupies.