Russia-Ukraine war live: Zelenskiy vows to defend Bakhmut; China says Russia ties will go from ‘strength to strength’

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Maps released by the Institute for Study of War showing ground movements as of Monday suggest Russian forces have taken 40% of Bakhmut after a nine-month-long campaign.

The developments come after Volodymyr Zelenskiy committed Ukrainian armed forces to defend the besieged city amidst conditions one commander has described as “hell on earth”. Earlier on Monday the ISW suggested Russian forces would not be able to capitalise on any gains even if they were to capture the city and that Ukraine’s defence was creating conditions for a future counteroffensive.

Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy’s vow to defend Bakhmut following a meeting with senior military officials may be at odds with the developing situation on the ground.

Michael Kofman, director of studies at the CAN think tank in Arlington Virginia, and one of the few observers to have correctly called Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine, said on Sunday that a continued defence of Bakhmut “doesn’t plan to Ukraine’s advantage as a force”.

In follow up comments posted to social media, Kofman said the ongoing defence of Bakhmut may prove costly if Ukraine intends to engage in a counteroffensive in the coming months.

It is a situation Zelenskiy himself appeared to acknowledge less than a week ago when he said he was contemplating a retreat from Bakhmut after a nine-month siege to allow Ukrainian forces to regroup in better-reinforced positions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has doubled down on the defence of Bakhmut despite rumours of an imminent retreat from the besieged city that has endured a nine month assault.

During his evening address on Monday, Zelenskiy said he had met with senior generals where they indicated their support for continuing the defence.

I told the Chief of Staff to find the appropriate forces to help the guys in Bakhmut. There is no part of Ukraine about which one can say that it can be abandoned.

After a series of meetings with Zelenskiy, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, “spoke in favour of continuing the defensive operation and further strengthening [Ukrainian] positions in Bakhmut,” Zelenskiy’s office said.

For more on this story, read the full report by Lorenzo Tondo.

Opening Summary

Hello and welcome back to our live coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine – this is Royce Kurmelovs bringing you the latest developments.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has committed to defending the embattled city of Bakhmut despite a partial encirclement. Zelenskiy said he had discussed the situation with his chief of the general staff and commander of ground forces who backed “continuing the defensive operation”. In his nightly address the president said there was “no part of Ukraine” that “can be abandoned”.

In his first media appearance as foreign minister China’s Qin Gang has defended the close friendship between China and Russia, a relationship closely watched by the west in light of the war in Ukraine. He said the ties between Beijing and Moscow “set an example for global foreign relations”.

• Both Kyiv and Moscow appear to be struggling with ammunition shortages and mounting casualties. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Russia’s Wagner mercenary force, which is leading the Russian offensive in Bakhmut, said that his representative had been denied access to the headquarters of Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine after Prigozhin repeatedly complained about a lack of ammunition.

• Zelenskiy paid tribute to a soldier whose execution by machine gun was filmed and uploaded to social media. The graphic video shows a man smoking a cigarette who says “glory to Ukraine” before he is shot at what appears to be close range.

• The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense says it has identified three Russian soldiers allegedly responsible for shooting an evacuation convoy in Irpin in March 2022. Nine civilians died during the attack with twelve others wounded. The shooters served with the 173rd separate reconnaissance battalion and two soldiers from the 137th guards paratrooper regiment.

• The Russian defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, has visited Mariupol in a rare trip to occupied Ukraine by a senior Moscow figure. The Russian defence ministry issued images on Monday of Shoigu “inspecting Russian reconstruction efforts of infrastructure”.

• Russia’s FSB security service claims to have thwarted a car bomb attack on Russian nationalist businessman Konstantin Malofeyev. The FSB blamed the Russian Volunteer Corps, which claims to be part of Ukraine’s armed forces. The Ukrainian government has not responded to questions about the incident.

• The exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has been handed a 15-year jail term after being convicted in absentia for treason and “conspiracy to seize power”. She said the verdict was punishment for her efforts to promote democracy.

• The European Union is reported to be edging closer to joint procurement of ammunition to help Ukraine and replenish members’ stockpiles. Major questions regarding funding and scale remain to be resolved in what would be a landmark move.

• Russia’s premier tank force is expected to be re-equipped with Soviet-made T-62 tanks first fielded in 1954 to make up for combat losses, the UK Ministry of Defence has said. The MoD said there was a “realistic” possibility” that the 60-year-old tanks would be supplied to units that had been expected to receive the next-generation T-14 Armata main battle tank.

• Russia’s prosecutor general has said it is labelling German-based anti-corruption group Transparency International an “undesirable organisation”. “It was found that the activities of this organisation clearly go beyond the declared goals and objectives,” it said.

• A British-led £520m international fund to provide fresh weapons for Ukraine and intended to be “low bureaucracy” has been plagued by delays, with only £200m allocated amid warnings that the rest of the funding will not provide arms at the front “until the summer”.

• Most of Ukraine’s winter grain crops – winter wheat and barley – are in good condition and could produce a good harvest, Ukraine’s academy of agricultural science has been quoted as saying.