Ukrainian military vows to hold Bakhmut as Russians close in

By MSTYSLAV CHERNOV
Associated Press

CHASIV YAR, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian military leaders are vowing to hold onto Bakhmut as Russian forces encroach on the devastated eastern city. The Kremlin has sought to capture it for six months at the cost of thousands of lives. Less than a week ago, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian defenders might retreat from Bakhmut and fall back to nearby positions. But Zelenskyy’s office said Monday that he chaired a meeting in which the country’s top military brass spoke in favor of continuing the defense and strengthening the Ukrainian positions.