Brigadier General Viktor Khorenko, the leader of the covert Special Operations Forces of Ukraine (SOF), paid a visit to Bakhmut on Saturday, where he had the opportunity to meet with members of SOF teams as well as commanders of regular army units, which form the backbone of Ukrainian defenses in the city currently under siege, Kyiv Post reports.
General Khorenko’s objectives for the trip were twofold. Firstly, he aimed to witness the situation firsthand, and secondly, to coordinate full support for the elite soldiers involved in the defense of the embattled city.
Khorenko stressed the importance of effective communication between all formations within their special forces, stating that prompt response to soldiers’ needs was crucial in achieving maximum results on the battlefield.
Although General Khorenko did not disclose any specifics about the size of the deployment of the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine or their assigned duties in Bakhmut, it is likely that the doctrine and recent reports on SOF’s performance over the past year indicate their primary role would involve disrupting Russian assaults through raids and ambushes rather than holding static fighting positions.
“All formations from the SOF participating in the defense of Bakhmut are executing their missions exactly. Our fighters are working continuously in extremely difficult conditions and are doing everything possible so that the number of enemy forces is reduced every day,” the Brigadier General stated.
President Volodymyr Zelensky presided over a meeting of the military high command council, known as “Stavka,” on Monday. Following the meeting, his office released a statement stating that the national military leadership had deliberated on the situation in Bakhmut and, after taking advice from top generals, decided to continue the city’s defense, Ukrinform reported.
“Evaluating the progress of defensive operations, the President asked (AFU senior commander Valery) Zaluzhnhy and (Ground Forces commander Oleksandr) Syrsky regarding further actions in the Bakhmut sector. They spoke in support of continuing defensive operations and further strengthening of our (Ukrainian) positions in Bakhmut,” the statement said.
