The threat by the leader of the Wagner Group to leave Bakhmut, whose control has been disputed street by street for months, will have had an effect. In a Telegram video, Yevgeny Prigozhin announced this Sunday that he had received a promise from Russian forces to “give us the ammunition and weapons we need to continue operations”. This after having accused Moscow’s military leadership of “lack of professionalism” and of being responsible for “tens of thousands” of Russian casualties. On Saturday, he had asked Russia to let him hand over his positions in the city to the forces of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
Prigozhin has been accusing the Russian General Staff of not providing enough ammunition for his paramilitaries for several months, preventing his victory in Bakhmut. This, claims the head of the Wagner Group, would overshadow the Russian army. “The enemy is not going to change its plans and is doing everything possible to gain control of Bakhmut, said Ukrainian forces commander Oleksandr Syrsky, who visited the eastern front.
The battle for control of Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine, has become central to the conflict, despite the fact that the city has no real strategic importance. The fighting, which has been taking place street by street – this Sunday Moscow claimed to have captured two more blocks and Prigozhin said that only 2.42 square kilometers remain to be occupied –, however, served to fix Russian forces in the region that, otherwise, could have deployed to other areas.
The fighting in Bakhmut gave Kiev time to mount a counter-offensive, which has yet to materialize on the ground. However, drone attacks have multiplied. This Sunday, the Russian army said it had staged an attack with 22 drones over the Black Sea (allegedly destined for Crimea).
Read more in Diário de Notícias
