Not entirely positive as to why Zelenskyy felt bold enough to lie about the consensus of his continued commitment to Bakhmut:

"The command unanimously supported this position. There were no other positions. I told the commander in chief to find the appropriate forces to help our guys in Bakhmut."

The comments followed a report by the German newspaper Bild quoting Ukrainian government sources that armed forces commander Valery Zaluzhny had disagreed with Mr Zelensky about the operation several weeks ago, recommending a retreat from the city.

Most defenders shared Gen Zaluzhny's view, the paper added.

Anyone following this closely understands that they are paying a steep price defending this place and that, in the long-term, they do not have any advantage in a war of attrition.

It seems less like the Russians are desperate for a victory and more like the Ukrainians are desperate to avoid the appearance of defeat.

Ukraine war: Bakhmut defenders double down - Zelensky

The president says the embattled eastern city's defence goes on, and that senior generals back the move.

^{By Robert Greenall (BBC News)}