U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Monday that the city of Bakhmut in Eastern Ukraine was more symbolic than operational. Its fall would not necessarily mean that Moscow had regained the momentum in its military efforts.

"I think it's more of a symbolic value than it is strategic and operational value," Reuters quotes Austin, who added that he would not predict if or when Bakhmut would be taken by Russian forces.

"The fall of Bakhmut won't necessarily mean that the Russians have changed the tide of this fight," Austin added.

Major General of the Armed Forces of Austria Bruno Hofbauer believes that the city of Bakhmut will not fall in the near future.

On March 4, British intelligence reported that Ukrainian forces defending Bakhmut are facing increasingly strong pressure (Ukr) from Russian forces, and intense fighting is taking place in the city and its surroundings.