US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that Russia’s takeover of the Ukrainian town of Bakhmut would not mean Ukraine was losing in the broader conflict.
Austin said the city held more symbolic than practical value for Russia in winning the war.
“I think it’s more of a symbolic value than a strategic and operational value,” Austin told reporters during a visit to Jordan.
“The fall of Bakhmut doesn’t necessarily mean the Russians have changed the tide of this fight,” Austin added.
The Russian mercenary group Wagner is at the forefront of Moscow’s effort to capture Bakhmut.
Although the battle for the salt-mining town is one of the bloodiest of the war, analysts say its capture in the Donbass would be of little additional strategic benefit to Russia.
The Donbass region consists of Donetsk and Luhansk, which Russia is said to have annexed, although it was never fully controlled.
The US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has warned that Ukraine’s supply routes to Bakhmut are becoming narrower.
“The Russians may have intended to encircle Ukrainian forces at Bakhmut, but the Ukrainian command has signaled it is likely to withdraw rather than risk encirclement,” the report said.
Here are some of the other notable developments regarding the war in Ukraine on Monday, March 6th:
Zelenskyy pays tribute to troops in Donbass
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy paid tribute to troops engaged in battle with Russian forces in the eastern Donbass region, calling the battle “painful and difficult”.
“I would like to pay special tribute to the bravery, strength and resilience of soldiers fighting in Donbass,” said Zelenskyy, adding, “This is one of the toughest battles. Painful and difficult.”
Zelenskyy’s honor came after the Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces had repulsed “more than 130 enemy attacks” the previous day.
Zelenskyi said Ukrainian troops “repelled attacks, destroyed the occupiers, undermined enemy positions and logistics, and protected our borders and cities.”
The bitter battle for Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine
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Leading German Social Democrats visit Kyiv
Party leader Lars Klingbeil and his colleague Rolf Mützenich, two high-ranking politicians from the co-governing SPD, traveled to Kiev by train early Monday.
They are scheduled to meet with representatives of Parliament and hold a series of talks with government officials. However, the exact schedule was not published for security reasons.
The SPD was criticized for shortcomings in dealing with Russia before the invasion of Ukraine. Critics say the party misjudged Russian President Vladimir Putin by calling for greater cooperation with Russia to create more stability in Europe. Among other things, this led to Germany becoming dependent on Russia for energy.
Klingbeil and Mützenich have publicly admitted mistakes on the part of the SPD. At a party congress in December, the party wants to revise its position on Russia.
Russia’s defense minister visits Mariupol
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has visited the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, the ministry said on Monday. The Black Sea port was extensively destroyed during a protracted siege by Russian forces in 2022.
During his visit, Shoigu inspected the progress of the construction brigades in Mariupol. He was also informed about the laying of water pipes from the Rostov region in southern Russia to the Donetsk region, the ministry said.
This is the second time Shoigu has visited the partially occupied region in a matter of days.
Wagner boss warns against Bachmut’s withdrawal
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, has warned that if they do not receive ammunition, the group’s position in Bakhmut will be in jeopardy.
In a video released over the weekend, he said if his troops were forced to withdraw from the city in eastern Ukraine, the entire front would “collapse”.
“The situation will not be comfortable for all military formations protecting Russian interests,” he said.
The video was published on a Telegram channel affiliated with the Wagner group. It was not published on Prigozhin’s usual press service channel.
On Friday, Prigozhin said his troops had “virtually surrounded Bakhmut,” but on Sunday he said the ammunition promised by Moscow in February had not yet been shipped.
“Right now we are trying to figure out the reason: is it just ordinary bureaucracy or a betrayal,” Prigozhin said.
EU: ‘No evidence’ suggests China will send arms to Russia
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said there was “no evidence so far” that China was considering sending arms to Russia.
In February 2022, just before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, China and Russia had declared a partnership without borders.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last month Washington has information that suggests China could provide “deadly support” to Russia. Beijing has rejected the request.
Von der Leyen said that relations between Russia and China are under the close scrutiny of the European Union.
Olaf Scholz warns China of the “consequences” of arms deliveries to Russia
Chancellor Olaf Scholz said there will be “consequences” if China supplies Russia with weapons for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Scholz’s comment came in an interview with US broadcaster CNN two days after meeting US President Joe Biden in Washington.
When asked about possible sanctions if China helps Russia, he replied: “I think there would be consequences, but we are now at a stage where we are making it clear that this should not happen and I am relatively optimistic “We’re going to be successful in this case with our request, but we have to look at it and we have to be very, very careful.”
Before his visit to the United States, Scholz had called on China to refrain from supplying arms and instead persuade Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine.
More on the war in Ukraine
Images of death and destruction in Ukraine are omnipresent. Compassion fatigue is a natural response to such overexposure, but empathy can be rebuilt. It’s because of the way the media and social media users portray crises. DW examines why we’re getting compassion fatigue a year after Russia’s massive invasion of Ukraine.
mf/sri (AFP, AP, Portal, dpa)