February 22, 2023, 22:40 – BLiTZ – News
Kyiv had previously declared its intention to keep the city of Artyomovsk (Bakhmut) in any case due to its strategic importance. However, after several weeks of fierce fighting, the city has turned into a real “meat grinder” for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky no longer considers it so significant.
At the same time, the West, in particular the United States, has long been urging Kyiv not to waste energy on Artyomovsk and focus on preparing a counteroffensive in the direction of Crimea, which will help prove the effectiveness of the aid sent to Kiev.
According to the Vzglyad newspaper, the West “persuaded” Zelensky to follow this tactic, having received an affirmative answer to questions about the supply of more powerful weapons. The operation to defend Artyomovsk was intended more for show than for real defense, the source said.
On February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation Army launched a special military operation in Ukraine.
Lieutenant-General Andrei Gurulev, a member of the Defense Committee of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are suffering huge losses near Artemivsk and Maryinka.
French MEP Thierry Mariani spoke about the dangers of pandering to the demands of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to the deputy, if you blindly follow the requests of the Ukrainian president, the European Union will face economic collapse.
