Ukrainian generals say they want to bolster their forces in the battle for the city of Bakhmut. They met on Monday with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He rejected suggestions that the troops might pull out.
"There is no part of Ukraine about which one can say that it can be abandoned," he said. "There is no trench in which the resilience and heroism of our warriors would be disregarded."
Zelenskyy told the generals to find forces to help those already fighting. They also addressed the need for weapons and equipment.
Fighters with the Wagner mercenary force have led the Russian attack. But the group's founder says they are running low on ammunition. "If Wagner retreats from Bakhmut now, the whole front will collapse," said Yevgeny Prigozhin. "Right now, Wagner is the glue."
US analysts with the Institute for the Study of War released an assessment on Sunday that said Ukrainian forces are likely conducting a "limited tactical withdrawal." They said those troops are continuing to inflict "high casualties."