NSDC's Danilov: Russians for some reason imagine capture of Bakhmut as WW2 victory

Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, states that the Ukrainian Armed Forces do not intend to withdraw from Bakhmut.

He said this on the air of the national telethon, commenting on the amassing of the Russian forces in four directions in the east and the likelihood of Ukrainian military being forced to retreat, reports Ukrinform.

"We are not going to retreat from anywhere. The Russians have been yelling about the capture of Bakhmut for a month and a half already. They hang their rag somewhere and start yelling. For some reason, they imagine that for them, the capture of Bakhmut will be like a victory in the Second World War. They are crazy because they believe that the capture of one populace is the solution to all issues. From our side, we are not going to surrender anything to anyone. But in the event of a threat, the military will make the ultimate decision," Danilov said.

He noted that the situation at the front, and especially in the hottest areas, is discussed every time at the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and every morning at a president-chaired meeting with the heads of the Ministry of Defense, General Staff, and many generals.

Answering the question of whether the Russians' actions reflect the intention to besiege Avdiivka, Danilov said that professional and battle-hardened Ukrainian servicemen and generals who have experience in waging war since 2014 are operating in this area. "Therefore, as soon as a threat suddenly arises, a decision will be made instantly," he said.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the enemy has now concentrated all of its professional strike forces on four axes in the east - Maryinka, Lyman, Bakhmut, and Avdiivka.

Over the last two weeks, in the area of Bakhmut, Donetsk region, the Russian Federation saw almost 4,500 soldiers from their regular armed forces and fighters from the Wagner group being killed or wounded.