Wagner boss complains in video
Therefore, the Russians simply cannot conquer Bakhmut
Putin’s troops have been targeting the town of Bakhmut in the Donbass for months. Despite fierce fighting, the assigned Wagner troops are unable to take the city. In a video, Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin explains why.
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Things are not looking good in Bakhmut for the troops of Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin.
It is considered the eastern fortress of Ukraine and has been in the sights of Russian troops for months: the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.
Although their strategic importance is not obvious, under the leadership of the Wagner troops, Putin wants to conquer the city of 74,000 inhabitants at any price. At the same time, the Ukrainians are trying by all means to hold their positions.
The result: a grueling fight that neither side can win. Instead, a stalemate is emerging: both camps lack the opportunity to advance further. Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigoschin (61) also feels that the offensive is faltering. In a video, he speaks up and explains why his troops are unable to take Bakhmut.
Hundreds of defense lines across the city
“In Bachmut, every house represents a fortress,” says the Wagner boss. His soldiers would fight for every single house. “Sometimes they need more than a day to conquer a house, sometimes they even need weeks.”
The problem lies in the strong defenses of the Ukrainian armed forces. Breaking through their defenses is an enormous challenge. Prigozhin speaks of hundreds of defense lines across the city. “In Artemivsk there is definitely a line of defense every ten meters,” says the boss of the mercenary group in the video.
With Artemivsk, the Wagner chief refers to the city of Bakhmut. From 1924 to 2016 Bakhmut bore the name Artemivsk. Due to decommunization, the abolition of communism in Ukraine, the city was renamed Bakhmut in 2016. The city had borne this name for several centuries.
Russians lack tanks and equipment
But not only the strong defense of the Ukrainian armed forces made life difficult for the Wagner troops. There is also a lack of armored vehicles and equipment everywhere: “We need vehicles, BMP-3 armored personnel carriers and grenades to get through Bachmut faster and safer,” complains a Wagner mercenary in the video.
It is unclear how long the fighting in Bakhmut will continue. British military experts believe that a major breakthrough by the Russian military is unlikely in the coming weeks. This emerged from the daily intelligence update from the Ministry of Defense in London on Tuesday.
The Ukrainian troops have strengthened their positions. The Russian attacks have therefore recently eased – after having reached a temporary peak in mid-December. Only recently 170 Russian soldiers were killed in Bakhmut. Nevertheless, things are not going well for the Ukrainian troops either: “Both sides have suffered heavy losses,” the statement said. (dzc)