2023-05-23 00:06:00
Yevgeny Prigozin, head of the Russian private military group Wagner Group, said the Wagner group would leave Bakhmut, Ukraine, by early next month, Deutsche Welle reported on the 22nd (local time).
Wagner’s group claimed on the 20th that it had captured the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut after more than eight months of fierce fighting. In a voice message posted on Telegram, Prigozhin told the Russian military that the handover would take place between May 25 and June 1. Prigozhin added that his mercenaries had established a “defense line” on the western outskirts of Bahmut before transferring control to the Russians.
Wagner’s mercenaries have spearheaded the raid on Bahmut in Russia for the past eight months. Prigozhin’s influence in Russia increased significantly during the Ukrainian offensive. He also accused Russian defense ministers of incompetence for the heavy losses in Ukraine.
The White House estimates that Russia suffered 100,000 casualties on the Bahmut front alone, with more than 20,000 soldiers killed. Ukrainian casualties are estimated to have been around 20,000.
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