In this photo published by the Prigozhin press service, Yevgeny Prigozhi, head of the Wagner Group, speaks to his soldiers. Picture: dpa
The long battle for Bakhmut is considered the bloodiest of the war in Ukraine. Now the Russian side claims to have conquered the city. While Kremlin boss Putin is already handing out congratulations, there is no confirmation from Kiev.
Russia has declared the months-long battle for Bakhmut to be over and has announced that it has completely captured the city in eastern Ukraine. The private army Wagner had completely conquered the city with the help of artillery and air support from the Russian armed forces, the Defense Ministry in Moscow announced on Sunday night. The head of the Wagner mercenaries, Yevgeny Prigoshin, had previously announced that the city, which had been extremely hard fought for months and which had meanwhile been almost completely destroyed, would be taken. There was initially no confirmation from the Ukrainian side.
Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin congratulated the Wagner troops and the Russian army. The Russian armed forces would have guaranteed Wagner the necessary protection on the flanks, Putin said, according to his press service. “All outstanding fighters are honored with state awards.”
The Battle of Bakhmut is considered the longest and most costly of the Russian war of aggression, which began 15 months ago with the invasion of the neighboring country. At that time the city still had 70,000 inhabitants, but now it is largely in ruins. Nevertheless, the Ukraine did not give up Bakhmut to prevent a breakthrough of the Russian troops further inland. President Volodymyr Zelenskyj had ordered not to give up the symbolic city.
Ukrainian army speaks of danger for Russians
The spokesman for the Ukrainian Army Group East, Serhiy Cherevatyy, denied on the radio in Kiev that Bakhmut had been captured. On the contrary, Prigozhin’s troops were at the end of their rope and wanted to give up: they feared being surrounded by the Ukrainian defenders, said Cherevaty.
The US Institute for War Studies (ISW) based in Washington said it was at best a symbolic success for Prigozhin, if his account was correct. Strategically, Bakhmut is of no use, and the Ukrainian troops are also putting pressure on the northern and southern flanks of the city.
Bakhmut is the main part of the line of defense between the cities of Siversk and Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, established after the Russian conquest of Sieverodonetsk and Lysychansk. Should the city actually fall to the occupiers, the route to the major cities of Slovjansk and Kramatorsk would open up for the Russian troops. This would bring a full conquest of the Donetsk region planned by Russia closer.
Prigozhin criticizes the Kremlin
On Saturday, Prigozhin, in uniform and holding the Russian flag, announced the capture of Bakhmut. At the same time, he once again criticized the Russian military leadership: “We not only fought with the armed forces of Ukraine, but also with the Russian bureaucracy, which threw a spanner in the works,” Prigozhin said in a video. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov made the war “for their personal pleasure”. Their whims and the military bureaucracy meant that “five times as many soldiers died as should have died”.
On the other hand, he thanked President Putin for giving the Wagner fighters the opportunity to fight for Russia. It was a “great honor,” emphasized Prigozhin, who is considered a close confidant of Putin. The Wagner troupe helped the “disheveled Russian army to find itself again”. He now wants to leave Bachmut to the regular troops. According to Prigozhin, the Wagner troops had been fighting for control of Bakhmut since October 8 – a recovery phase was now pending. But his men are ready to continue fighting for Russia.
Referring to the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the G7 summit of the leading democratic economies in Japan, Prigozhin said that Kiev’s troops fought “bravely and well”. Selenskyj should send greetings to US President Joe Biden from the Wagner army, the best in the world. In the direction of Moscow, he addressed the demand that those who had protracted the battle for Bakhmut by withholding ammunition, material and fighters should be held accountable.
Courted fighters in prison
Prigozhin had also recruited convicted criminals in Russian prisons to reinforce the battle. He said it would have taken 23 times more personnel and 27 times more ammunition to capture the city faster. Prigozhin also recalled the many who died without citing numbers. Because of the high losses on both sides, the mercenary chief had described the battle for Bakhmut as a “meat grinder”.
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Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar contradicted Prigozhin’s words on Saturday afternoon, saying “heavy fighting” continued in Bakhmut. At the same time, she admitted: “The situation is critical.” However, the Ukrainian armed forces defended their positions and still controlled individual industrial and infrastructure objects. She did not initially react to the Russian government’s declaration of victory.
Maljar had previously said the Russian military had moved thousands of troops to Bakhmut for reinforcements and continued to attack “at heavy casualties, disproportionately exceeding our losses.” The Ministry of Defense in Moscow also spoke of heavy enemy losses. The information provided by both sides about the fighting could not be independently verified.