Top military official: Bakhmut resistance breaks Russia's plans PHOTO

The forces and resources brought in to defend Bakhmut are preventing Russian troops from realizing their plan and forcing them to abandon their advance. Ukraine needs to buy time for a spring counterattack, which is just around the corner.

The statement came from Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyy, commander of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, RBC-Ukraine reports.

It is noted that Syrskyy is on the most important sections of the front together with his units, where the Ukrainian military is giving a decent repulse to the enemy and continues to hold the city.

"For the defence of Bakhmut, forces and resources have been brought in to prevent the enemy from realising its intentions, breaking its plans, and forcing it to give up advancing," the colonel-general said.

Syrskyy stressed that the real heroes now are the defenders who hold the eastern front on their shoulders and "without sparing themselves or their enemies inflict maximum losses on them".

"Time must be bought to accumulate reserves and launch a spring counteroffensive, which is not far off," the Army commander said.

It is also reported that Syrskyy is constantly in control of the operational situation on the front and is taking the necessary measures to keep Bakhmut under Ukrainian control.