Day After Elon Musk's Warning, Putin Steps Up Bakhmut Assault As Zelenskyy Stresses 'Difficult' Fight

A day after Elon Musk warned of a "major" Russian offensive in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin's forces carried out continuous attacks on the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. 

What Happened: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his nightly video address on Tuesday, said, “The most difficult part, as before, is Bakhmut and the fighting that is essential for the city’s defense.”

See Also: Putin Ready For Peace Talks But Russia Will ‘Never Compromise:’ Kremlin Spokesman

“Russia in general takes no account of people and sends them in constant waves against our positions, the intensity of the fighting is only increasing,” Zelenskyy said.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Tuesday, in a statement, said Ukrainian aircraft launched three strikes on areas of concentration of Russian forces. 

See Also: Trump Mocked For His ‘Hilarious' Plan To End Putin's War: ‘So Nuanced And Savvy'

The military said while most of the attacks were focused on Bakhmut and other towns and villages in Donetsk, Moscow also shelled more than 20 settlements in northern regions near the Russian border.

Musk, on Tuesday, warned that Kyiv needs to be in "defense mode" as Putin is potentially planning a major offensive against the war-torn nation.

Replying to former U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul's tweet, Musk said, “a defense in depth trench war means that whoever attacks first suffers very disproportionate deaths.”

Check out more of Benzinga’s Europe and Asia coverage by following this link.