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Kyiv said Sunday it was holding off attacks from Russian troops still attempting to surround Bakhmut, a now-destroyed eastern Ukrainian city that Moscow has been trying to capture for months. But despite growing “speculation”, Ukraine has dismissed rumours of a possible withdrawal and vowed to defend “fortress Bakhmut”. Follow our live blog for all the latest developments on the war in Ukraine. All times are Paris time (GMT+1).
5:15pm: Estonians vote in election test for pro-Kyiv government
Estonians have been voting Sunday in a general election that pits one of Europe’s most staunchly pro-Kyiv governments against a far-right party seeking to capitalise on anger over rising living costs, and which would stop admitting new Ukrainian refugees.
If, as opinion polls predict, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas’ liberal Reform party wins the election and successfully crafts a coalition, it would cement the Baltic nation’s pro-European direction. Estonia would also stay on course to adopt more green energy and continue to accept refugees from Ukraine.
The polls close at 8pm local time (1800 GMT), with most electoral districts expected to report their tallies by midnight.
2:46pm: Russian army says it hit Azov Regiment command centre in Ukraine
The Russian army hit a command centre of the Ukrainian Azov Regiment in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, according to the Russian defence ministry.
The ministry did not provide details of the attack in its daily update on what Moscow terms the “special military operation” in Ukraine. The report could not be independently verified.
The Azov Regiment, which had far-right and ultra-nationalist origins and is now a unit of Ukraine’s national guard, garnered international attention for its resistance to the Russian siege of Mariupol’s vast steelworks last year.
12:25am: ‘Lot of speculation over whether Ukrainian troops are preparing to withdraw’ from Bakhmut
After seven months of battles on the outskirts of Bakhmut, Ukraine has denied rumours its forces are withdrawing from the eastern city, saying instead it is enforcing the area with elite units. A pro-Russian capture of the city would be a major advance in the fight for the Donbas region. FRANCE 24’s Gulliver Cragg reports.Â
11:50am: Kyiv says Russia pursuing ‘attempts to encircle’ Bakhmut, vows to defend ‘fortress Bakhmut’
Kyiv said Sunday it was holding off attacks from Russian troops still attempting to surround Bakhmut, a now-destroyed eastern Ukrainian city that Moscow has been trying to capture for months. Ukraine has vowed to defend “fortress Bakhmut” but it has faced Russian troops determined to take the city that has turned into a political prize as the battle drags on.
The Ukrainian general staff said “more than 130 enemy attacks” had been repelled over the past day including in Kupiansk, Lyman, Bakhmut and Avdiivka.
“The enemy continues its attempts to encircle the town of Bakhmut,” it said on Sunday morning. Sergiy Cherevaty, a spokesman for Ukrainian forces, said on Saturday the situation was “difficult but under control” in the city he described as a “priority target for the enemy”.
10:28am: Turkey working to renew Black Sea grain deal, FM says
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Sunday that Ankara is working hard to extend a U.N.-backed initiative that has enabled Ukraine to export grain from ports blockaded by Russia following its invasion.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last July allowed grain to be exported from three Ukrainian ports. The agreement was extended in November and will expire on March 18 unless an extension is agreed.
“We are working hard for the smooth implementation and further extension of the Black Sea grain deal,” Cavusoglu said in a speech at the United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries being held in Doha, Qatar.
2:51am: Ukrainian pilots in Arizona to fly military simulators, US official says
In a first, two Ukrainian pilots are in Arizona to fly flight simulators and be evaluated by the US military, an American defence official said Saturday, as Washington remains mute on whether it will send fighter jets or sophisticated remotely piloted drones to Kyiv.
The US and allies have been flooding Ukraine with weapons from Javelin missiles to HIMARS rocket launchers, but sophisticated jets and the largest armed drones have not been pledged to Ukraine by Western allies.
“This event allows us to better help Ukrainian pilots become more effective pilots and better advise them on how to develop their own capabilities,” the defence official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The Arizona “familiarisation event” will facilitate dialogue between Ukrainian and US personnel and provide an opportunity to observe how the US Air Force operates, the defence official said.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP & Reuters)
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