In an online interview with NHK, the deputy mayor of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, where fierce fighting continues, condemned the Russian attack, saying, "Only about 5% to 10% of the buildings remain that have not been destroyed."
Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast is one of the bases on the Ukrainian side, and fierce battles are continuing between the Ukrainian army and units of the Russian private military company Wagener.
Against this backdrop, Deputy Mayor Oleksandr Marchenko of Bakhmut gave an online interview to NHK from the suburbs of Bakhmud on the 17th and explained the situation there.
"Bakhmut is in a very difficult and difficult situation, the enemy is trying to encircle it, and the attack on Bakhmut is intensifying day by day," said Deputy Mayor Marchenko, acknowledging that half of the city has already been taken over by Russian troops.
"Only about 5% to 10% of the buildings that have not been destroyed in Bakhmut remain," he said, adding that the entire city has been severely damaged by the fighting so far.
According to the deputy mayor, there are still about 2900,3000 to 2,<> residents, mainly elderly people, in Bahmut.
As for the reason, he said, "Some residents do not want to evacuate due to their physical condition, etc., and the evacuation route from the city is controlled by the Ukrainian army, but it is exposed to enemy attacks and is in a dangerous state," and complained about the difficulty of evacuating residents.
The deputy mayor also emphasized that Bahmut still has the capacity to withstand Russian attacks, stating that since February last year, Bakhmud has been building up barriers and obstacles to stop the enemy's advance, and that "we hope that these structures will help the Ukrainian army defend and counterattack in the future."
He then appealed for further support from the international community, saying, "What is being carried out in Bahumt is genocide and murder, and we must stop this and rebuild the city through the unity of the international community."