Okay so this is a complete turn around from previous claims on Bakhmut. It’s been repeatedly claimed that Russia taking Bakhmut was a hollow, pyrrhic victory. Of no significance. Politically important but not strategically important? Now Zelensky is stating the fate of Ukraine, the entire nation rests on the eastern battles including Bakhmut?!
Evening Standard

Zelensky has vowed to “destroy” Russian forces in war-town Bakhmut as he warned Ukraine’s future rests on the fate of battles raging in the east of the country.
The Ukrainian president said soldiers were facing “very tough and painful” conditions in the area where the fight to win overall control of the destroyed mining town has become Europe’s bloodiest infantry battle since World War Two.
“It is very tough in the east, very painful,” he said. “We need to destroy the enemy’s military might, and we will.
“Bilohorivka and Maryinka, Avdiivka and Bakhmut, Vuhledar and Kamyanka – and all other places where our future is being decided. Where our future, the future of all Ukrainians, is being fought for.”
Obviously this is a location of significance and Ukraine has fought defensively for some time now and the losses are piling up. In a previous post, western voices were saying, Ukraine should remove the troops from this location. I don’t believe they have.
“So far they’ve held the city, but if need be, they will strategically pull back because we’re not going to sacrifice all of our people just for nothing,” said Alexander Rodnyansky.