Ukrainian Deputy PM urges residents to evacuate Bakhmut immediately

Kyiv: Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk urged the residents of Bakhmut to evacuate from the city “immediately.” “I appeal to the civilians who are still in Bakhmut. If you are adequate, law-abiding and patriotic citizens, you must evacuate immediately,” she wrote on Telegram. Moscow’s forces were in control of “all” access roads to Bakhmut, including the local T0504, which runs into the city from the west, Russian news agency Tass quoted Donetsk officials as saying. Almost a year after Russia launched invaded Ukraine, the two countries are engaged in a struggle to control areas throughout eastern and southern Ukraine. Most important weapons  Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed to have annexed the Donetsk region that surrounds Bakhmut last year. But the fierce fighting for the city is now the longest-running battle of Russia’s campaign and Moscow’s key military objective. Taking Bakhmut would be a major win for Moscow, though analysts say its capture would be mainly symbolic as the salt-mining town holds little strategic value. As the conflict’s one-year anniversary approaches next week, the United States and its allies plan to mark the grim milestone with major new sanctions against Russia, Victoria Nuland, under secretary of state for political affairs, said Thursday. “These sanctions will deepen and broaden in certain categories where we have been active before, particularly in limiting the flow of technology to the Russian defence industry,” she told reporters. President Joe Biden has led international sanction efforts, notably by curbing the flow of payments for Russian oil and gas, but Moscow has adapted by expanding trade with China and India. With inputs from agencies. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook ,  Twitter  and  Instagram .