The battle for Bakhmut decides the outcome of the war, Zelensky: If we lose there, we will compromise with Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that if Russia advances in the battle in Bakhmut and manages to take it, it will be forced to compromise with Russia. Zelensky said that if the eastern city fell to Russian forces after a protracted battle, President Vladimir Putin would sell this victory to the West, his company, China, Iran, as reported by The Guardian. "Our society will feel tired. Our society will push me to compromise with them," he said, adding that a loss anywhere at this stage of the war could put Ukraine at a disadvantage. On the other hand, the head of the Russian "Wagner" group, Prigozhin, has stated that the fighting to take control of Bakhmut severely damaged the group's military forces. "Unfortunately, the battle for Bakhmut has also seriously damaged the Wagner military group," said Prigozhin. His statement comes after reports that Ukrainian border guards destroyed a "shelter" of mercenaries of the Wagner group in this city, from where they attacked the positions of Ukrainian forces. The building, located in one of the districts of the city, was attacked with grenade launchers by border guards, together with military personnel. The six-month battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut has been the longest and bloodiest battle of the war so far. A little-known city before Russia's aggression, Bakhmuti has become a symbol of the country's resilience and perseverance in the face of the Kremlin's onslaught. The Ukrainian leadership has repeatedly pledged to defend the city, but some experts have warned that this could be too dangerous and costly. They say that Ukraine has turned Bakhmut into a "machine that is eating" Russia's most capable forces.