Ukraine鈥檚 President Volodymyr Zelenskiy delivers his annual speech to lawmakers during a session of the Ukrainian Parliament, amid Russia鈥檚 attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine December 28, 2022. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS
Ukrainian forces are repelling constant attacks on the town of Bakhmut in the eastern Donbas region and holding their positions in nearby Soledar in very difficult conditions, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday.
鈥淏akhmut is holding on despite everything. And even though most of the town has been destroyed by Russian strikes, our soldiers are repelling constant Russian attempts to advance,鈥� Zelensky said in his nightly video address.
鈥淪oledar is holding on, even though there is even greater destruction and things are very difficult.鈥�
Zelensky issued a fresh denunciation of what he said was Russia鈥檚 failure to observe a truce it had proclaimed for Orthodox Christmas by staging attacks on Ukrainian cities.
鈥淩ussians were shelling Kherson with incendiary ammunition immediately after Christmas,鈥� he said, referring to a city in the south abandoned by Russian forces in November.
鈥淪trikes on Kramatorsk and other cities in Donbas 鈥� on civilian targets and at the very time when Moscow was reporting a supposed 鈥榮ilence鈥� for its army.鈥�
Russia said on Sunday that a missile attack on Kramatorsk, northwest of Bakhmut, had killed 600 Ukrainian soldiers, but a Reuters reporter at the scene found no obvious signs of casualties.
RELATED STORIES
Moscow ends self-proclaimed ceasefire, vows to press ahead in Ukraine
Shelling booms around Bakhmut鈥檚 streets in 鈥楥hristmas ceasefire鈥�