Yermak could have made decision to hold Bakhmut defence for so long - FT

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Andriy Yermak wanted to make Bakhmut «a symbol of Ukraine's unbreakable resistance», - FT. Photo by the Office of the President

The Financial Times writes that the head of the President's Office, Andriy Yermak, interfered with the plans for the fighting in Bakhmut and that the decision to keep the city's defence for a long time could have come from him.

The Financial Times writes about this in a large article about the head of the Presidential Office «The polarising power of Andriy Yermak, another wartime leader of Ukraine», Ukrainian Pravda reports.

«According to two Ukrainian officials involved in military planning, Yermak has repeatedly ignored the decisions of the military leadership and in certain situations had "full influence" on the fighting. One of the most striking examples, according to them, was his influence on the battle for Bakhmut», — the newspaper writes.

The FT recalls that Bakhmut was built as a fortress in 1571, and at the end of 2022, the city was again under siege when Russian troops approached.

«Many Ukrainian commanders on the front line called for a strategic retreat, but Yermak saw an opportunity to tell a different story. Thanks to its history, the Bakhmut fortress had a certain narrative power. It was to become a symbol of Ukraine's unbreakable resistance. (President Volodymyr - ed.) Zelenskyy also wanted a great victory on the battlefield to boost national morale. It could not»,— the article says.

The author of the material, Christopher Miller, notes that after 7 months of heavy fighting, Bakhmut «was already hell».

Earlier it was reported that the head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak said that Russia is using the negotiations as a way to delay and exhaust Ukraine. He emphasises that true peace is possible only through force.