Long attention is riveted to Bakhmut. It is already periodically beginning to sound in the media that the Armed Forces of Ukraine can leave this city, but so far Ukraine is in full control of it.

Colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in reserve, military pilot-instructor Roman Svitan in an interview with Unian spoke about the situation in the Ukrainian fortifications in Bakhmut.

"A tough situation. Especially in the last two weeks, when the Russians threw all their forces. They reinforced the Wagner with linear units, and brought up artillery, and aviation. It is not profitable for our troops to leave the fortified area. It's not the city but the fortified area. This is a tandem between Chasiv Yar and Bakhmut - two garrisons that cover each other.

Going beyond Chasiv Yar will open the way for the Russians toward Druzhkovka, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk.

There may be a decision to leave Bakhmut with subsequent ascent and retention of the ridge in the area of ​​Chasiv Yar. However, the best option is just to keep this tandem. It all depends on the operational situation that is developing.

The first task of any army is to inflict maximum damage on the enemy army. This is not the liberation of territories, not the liberation of some units, but the destruction of the enemy army. Everything else follows as a consequence of the first task. In the Bakhmut area, the Russians first pulled up the regular army, then PMCs, attacked with manpower.

In the Bakhmut area, we have recently destroyed the most significant number of Russians.

At the moment, the Bakhmut garrison has completed the task - it was the Bakhmut garrison that destroyed the most significant number of Russians, if we count by the time of work at one point. The guys there are just heroes. But on the further use of this garrison, the decision will be made by the military leadership on the ground."