Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu chairs a meeting during what the defence ministry said to be an inspection of a forward command post of Russian armed forces deployed in Ukraine, at an unknown location in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in this handout image published March 4, 2023. Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS
(Reuters) -Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday that the seizure of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine was critical to punching a hole in Ukrainian defences and would allow Moscow's forces to mount further offensive operations deeper inside the country.
Russian forces have been waging an intense campaign for months to seize control of the small city in what would become their first significant territorial advance since last summer.
"The liberation of Artyomovsk continues," Shoigu said in televised remarks, using the old Soviet-era name for Bakhmut.
"The city is an important hub for defending Ukrainian troops in the Donbas. Taking it under control will allow further offensive actions to be conducted deep into Ukraine's defensive lines," Shoigu said.
The heavily industrialised Donbas region of eastern Ukraine comprises Donetsk and Luhansk, which are both claimed by Russia along with two other Ukrainian regions as its own territory, claims Kyiv and the West reject as illegal.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group which has been spearheading the battle for the city, said last Friday his forces had "practically surrounded" Bakhmut.
Ukrainian troops will keep defending the city, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday.
Shoigu said the West was increasing its arms deliveries to Ukraine but that would not change the course of events on the battlefield.
"NATO countries' support for the Kyiv regime will not lead to success for Ukrainian troops on the battlefield," he said, saying Russian forces were inflicting heavy losses on Ukrainian troops.
Both Kyiv and Moscow have said they have killed significant numbers of enemy troops in the battle for Bakhmut.
Reuters is unable to verify accounts of battlefield losses. While military analysts treat both sides' claims of fatalities and casualties with scepticism, it is acknowledged that the months-long fight for control of Bakhmut has turned into one of the bloodiest campaigns of the year-long war.
(Reporting by Jake CordellEditing by Gareth Jones, Andrew Osborn and Angus MacSwan)
