General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, calls the battle for Bakhmut the most extensive in terms of casualties. He predicts that Ukrainian forces will not surrender the city.

According to the reporter of "European Pravda" from Brussels, he said this at a press conference on Tuesday, following a meeting of Ukraine's Defence Contact Group.

"The most dynamic shift of the front line in both directions generally is around Bakhmut. The Ukrainians are changing. They are defending. The Russians, primarily the Wagner group, are attacking. I would describe it as an extremely protracted battle of attrition with a very high casualty rate, especially from the Russian side," Milley said.

The American general added that the battle for Bakhmut is going on without "sophisticated maneuvers." It is "just a series of attacks, a lot of artillery fire with an extremely high casualty rate in that particular area."

"It is hard to say how long it is going to last. It's been on for several weeks. I believe it will continue as long as the Russians are able to continue. I don't think the Ukrainians will just break down and lose. They will continue to fight," Milley said, adding that the US will ensure that Ukraine has enough means for further actions on the battlefield.

Russian forces bombard Ukraine's Bakhmut in major offensive, throwing mobilised, conscripts, and mercenaries of the private military company "Wagner" there. Even though they have been storming the city for more than half a year, the Russian Federation has not been able to take over it.

According to British intelligence, as of February 7, Russian troops have probably achieved tactical success (UKR) in two key areas around Bakhmut and Vuhledar.