Russia's Wagner boss Prigozhin: Ukrainian offensive has started around Bakhmut flanks
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Russia's Wagner boss Prigozhin: Ukrainian offensive has started around Bakhmut flanks
MOSCOW (Reuters) - The head of Russia's Wagner private army said on Thursday that Ukrainian units had begun their counterattack, and were approaching Bakhmut from the flanks, while Russia's defence ministry said its paratroopers were supporting an advance on the west of the city.
Reuters could not independently verify either of the assertions, which came amid an escalating dispute between Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Russian defence ministry over the conduct of the invasion, now in its 15th month.
Prigozhin said that Ukrainian operations were proving to be "unfortunately, partially successful", in an audio message posted on his Telegram channel.
He said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was "being deceptive" when he said Ukraine's counteroffensive had been delayed as it waited for more aid from foreign countries. Prigozhin said the counteroffensive was actually going ahead at full speed around Bakhmut.
Russian forces, spearheaded by Wagner, have been waging a bloody assault on the city, in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, since last summer. Prigozhin last week claimed his forces controlled around 95%, but threatened to pull out if Moscow did not deliver more ammunition to his fighters.
On Wednesday, both Prigozhin and the Ukrainian military said that Kyiv's forces had routed a Russian army unit near Bakhmut, in a significant advance for Ukraine. Prigozhin has repeatedly accused senior Russian defence officials of starving his forces of ammunition, and blamed them for reverses around the town.
In its regular daily briefing on Thursday, Russia's defence ministry made no reference to the claimed setback and said troops were continuing to advance.
"Assault groups continue their offensive in the western part of Artyomovsk," it said, using the Soviet-era name for the city of Bakhmut. "Paratroopers provided support to them and have pinned down Ukrainian army units on the flanks," it added.
Moscow says capturing Bakhmut will allow it to conduct further offensives across eastern Ukraine. Zelenskiy and the West have downplayed the strategic importance of the city for Russia, though Kyiv has repeatedly refused to withdraw its troops.
