Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that if Russia seized it Bahamutthe city that has become the focus of extremely bloody fighting for months, the Russian military will have a “free way” to try to take over other cities in Donbass —eastern Ukraine.

“We understand that after Bahamut, they may go further. They may go to Kramatorsk, they may go to Sloviansk, the way will be free for the Russians (…) to other cities of Ukraine,” the Ukrainian head of state told the American television network CNNin an interview that aired today.

The city, which has fewer than 4,000 residents left from the 70,000 it had before the armed conflict broke out, has been almost completely destroyed.

The Russian military is escalating its offensive to capture Bakhmut, judging the town to be crucial to the continuation of what the Kremlin has dubbed a “special military operation”, despite fierce Ukrainian resistance.

Bakhmut “is an important node (of the lines) of defense of the Ukrainian soldiers in Donbas,” Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu commented yesterday.

“THE conquest will allow it to conduct new offensive operations in depth,” he added during a meeting he had.

The Ukrainian president insisted in his interview with CNN that his army is determined to hold the city.

“I had a meeting with the chief of the general staff and the military commanders (…) and all of them told me that we must continue to fight in Bahmut,” assured Mr. Zelensky.

“Surely we have to account for the lives of our soldiers. But we must do everything we can as we receive arms (…) until our army prepares for a counterattack.”

Although the US defense secretary downplays the strategic importance of Bahamut, the city has taken on great symbolic and tactical importance as the two warring parties have suffered appalling casualties.

This is the longest and deadliest battle since the Russian army invaded Ukrainian territory on February 24, 2022.