Ukraine will not surrender Bakhmut as Russia wants to take east - Zelenskyy

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made the statement at a briefing following the Ukraine-EU summit.

"We will not surrender Bakhmut. We will fight as long as we can. We consider Bakhmut our fortress. We consider our heroes who fell there to be heroes. If the supply of weapons, namely long-range weapons, is accelerated, we will not withdraw from Bakhmut, moreover – we will start de-occupying Donbas. We have specifics of what we need. We thank all the states that are with us on this path," the President of Ukraine said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia would increase pressure in the east of the country.

"Russia wants revenge, revenge exactly where it failed. It wants to take the east. Our task is to prevent this opportunity until our army is strengthened with appropriate weapons. I believe we have every chance. They will also want to return in the direction of the Lyman and so on. Our task is to prevent the revanche, to prevent the invasion that has already happened. We have every chance, but we all have to realize that we are at war. It is not over," Zelenskyy emphasized.