Page 55 - Rob Lee News Today

Russias latest attacks on Ukraine appear to have targeted civilian infrastructure, according to a senior Ukrainian official.

Some Ukrainian soldiers on the frontlines are now using explosive-packed remote-controlled cars, also known as unmanned ground vehicles, to hit Russian targets, according to video footage.

Kyiv has no plans to pull out of Bakhmut. Ukrainian officials say it's not just a matter of what the loss would mean for the public's morale. The city's defense, they say, is linked to a planned spring offensive that could commence within weeks as the weather warms.

Holding Bakhmut made sense while Russia was suffering far higher casualties, but the logic of slogging it out is now in question.

The next move is up to the Kremlin.

LONDON (Reuters) - Over 90% of its residents have fled, much of it lies in ruins, tens of thousands have been killed, and its strategic importance has been played down by the Pentagon and NATO chiefs. Yet Russia and Ukraine are still battling for the small city of Bakhmut.

Over 90% of its residents have fled, much of it lies in ruins, tens of thousands have been killed, and its strategic importance has been played down by the Pentagon and NATO chiefs.

Reuters is unable to verify battlefield casualty figures. Zelenskiy's aide Mykhailo Podolyak said Ukraine is fighting on in Bakhmut because the battle is pinning down Russia's best units and degrading them ahead of a planned Ukrainian spring counter-offensive.

"The driver and commander were both killed but the gunner survived," said Rob Lee, a senior fellow with the Foreign Policy Research Institute.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is planning to visit Russia as soon as next week, people familiar with the matter said on Monday, while Moscow and Kyiv both reported intense fighting in the war's bloodiest battle over the eastern city of Bakhmut.