The Russian Interfax news agency quoted the Ministry of Defense as saying today (Wednesday) that its forces attacked reserve forces of the Ukrainian army who tried to reach the destroyed city of Bakhmut to support them. Russia said, according to Russian news agencies, that forces from Russia's private military group Wagner had captured three more points in their attempt to capture the city in eastern Ukraine. And the head of the group, Vagini Prigozhin, announced that Wagner controls about 80% of Bakhmut.
While the fierce battles and street warfare continue in Bakhmut, the Russian military forces destroyed two strategic points of the Ukrainian army in the Zaporizhia region, killing up to 10 members of the Ukrainian forces.
The head of the media center of the "Vostok" group said that air surveillance led to the discovery and destruction of two strategic points in the areas of "Julai-Pole" and "Lugovsko", and that artillery destroyed them with fire. He indicated that three drones were shot down. He added that the Russian army was able to discover and destroy the "Acacia" and "Giastent-S" artillery and destroy the "Acacia" artillery and armored vehicle in the Charivno region.
Russian Defense Spokesman Igor Konashenkov stated that Wagner forces managed to advance in the center of Bakhmut. He added that "Wagner" is pushing the Ukrainian forces towards the western part of the city.
For his part, the head of the Wagner Group said yesterday that his forces control more than 80 percent of the destroyed city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, following some of the fiercest and bloodiest battles of the war. He announced that his forces, which had played a major role in the advance of the Russian forces in the east, were proceeding to encircle Bakhmut.
Senior Ukrainian officials did not directly respond to the allegation, but said that their forces were still steadfast in the face of violent attacks and were preventing Russian forces from advancing in Bakhmut, which had a population of 70,000 before the war.
Wagner fighters are leading Russia's months-long efforts to control Bakhmut. The grinding trench warfare and constant artillery bombardment have drawn comparisons to World War I because of the high number of dead and wounded on both sides.
The head of the Russian-controlled part of the Donetsk region said Russian forces had surrounded the Ukrainian defense forces in a corner. Donetsk is one of four regions Moscow announced its annexation last September.
For her part, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hana Malyar acknowledged that Bakhmut "took the main blow" in the fighting, but added that Russian forces "generally lose to us in street battles, so they destroy all buildings and structures."
Okaz (Moscow, Kiev) @okaz_online