The Ukrainian army affirmed today that it “advances” in “some areas” around the city of Bakhmut, the epicenter of the fighting in the east of the country, although the Wagner paramilitary group that responds to Russia assured that it seized “three other buildings “in the town.
“The defensive operation in the direction of Bakhmut continues. Our soldiers are advancing in some areas of the front, and the enemy is losing equipment and troops,” Ukrainian land forces commander Oleksander Syrsky said on Telegram.
However, Wagner’s chief reported progress on the ground: “During the night the units of the private military company continued their advance in Bakhmut, where they took three other buildings,” said Yevgeny Prigozhin, in an audio message, released for your press service.
The leader of the paramilitary group yesterday accused the Russian army of “fleeing” from their positions near the city and considered that the defenses “collapse” and the military commanders minimize the situation.
In this context, the British Ministry of Defense estimated today that the Ukrainian forces fighting on the front managed to advance one kilometer in the last four days, taking advantage of a “disorganized” withdrawal from the Russian side.
“Over the past four days, elements of Russia’s 72nd Separate Motor Rifle Brigade withdrew, probably in a disorganized manner, on the southern flank of the operation in Bakhmuth. Ukrainian forces have recaptured at least a kilometer of territory.” , explained the portfolio in its latest assessment of the conflict, published today on Twitter.
London, an ally of Kiev, indicated that the retreating Russian army corps is “marked by accusations of low morale and limited combat effectiveness” whose “deployment in such a demanding and operationally important sector”, such as Bakhmut, “highlights the serious shortage of reliable combat units in Russia”.
Bakhmut, the scene of the longest and bloodiest battle since the Russian invasion that began more than a year ago, had some 70,000 inhabitants before the conflict.
Currently, Russian troops control about 80% of the territory occupied by this city, which is being destroyed as the occupation progresses.
Further east, in the Lugansk province, the pro-Russian authorities controlling the area accused the Ukrainian Armed Forces of using Storm Shadow long-range missiles, recently supplied by the United Kingdom.
According to the head of the area designated by Moscow, Leonid Pasechnik, six minors were injured in the attack and led to the suspension of mobile internet service.
“Due to the intensification of the attacks, the decision was made to temporarily suspend the operation of the mobile internet in the territory,” he wrote on his Telegram channel, quoted by the Sputnik news agency.
“Storm Shadow air-to-air missiles supplied to the Kiev regime by the UK were used” for an attack against “civilian targets” in Lugansk, causing “injuries, including six children,” the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed in a statement. reproduced by the AFP news agency.
Separately, earlier today, the German government announced that it is preparing a new $2.95 billion military aid plan for Ukraine, in what would be the country’s largest arms supply package for Kiev since its inception. of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
It is another sign that Russia is “destined to lose and sit on the sidelines of historical shame,” said Mikhail Podoliak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said adenpas that he discussed upcoming arms supplies with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“He paid a lot of attention to the importance of providing Ukraine with [aviones] F-16 and the necessary steps to start the training of Ukrainian pilots,” he added.
Source: Ambito
