Yevgeny Prigogine
Russia and Ukraine
Yevgeny Prigozhin: There are no indications that the Ukrainian forces will leave Bakhmut
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian paramilitary group “Wagner”, acknowledged that his fighters were suffering increasing losses in the war in Ukraine, during his visit Thursday to a cemetery that he said was “keeping growing”.
In a video clip published by the “Wagner” forces on the “Telegram” application, Prigozhin appeared standing in front of dozens of tombs, each of which is topped with crosses and wreaths of flowers were placed on them.
“We continue to bury Wagner fighters here, and there is no problem with that until today,” Prigozhin said in the video. “We will work to improve this cemetery and make it a memorial for future generations.”
He added, “Yes, the cemetery is getting bigger. Those who fight are sometimes killed. This is how life goes.”
The Ukrainian army destroys a Russian ammunition depot in Bakhmut
Russia does not talk much about the losses it has incurred in Ukraine since the start of its attack on this country in February 2022.
The last official death toll issued by the Russian Ministry of Defense dates back to September 2022, when the death toll reached 5,937 soldiers.
This outcome does not include Wagner fighters who do not officially belong to the Russian army.
According to Western estimates, the combined losses of the Russian forces (the Russian army, Wagner units, and pro-Russian separatist Ukrainian forces) since the start of the attack on Ukraine could reach more than 150,000 dead and wounded.
Wagner’s elements have been fighting, especially on the front line, in the battle that has been raging for months to control Bakhmut, a city in eastern Ukraine, in which the Russian and Ukrainian sides have suffered heavy losses.
Commander of the “Wagner” forces: the fighting with the Ukrainians continues in Bakhmut
Earlier, the commander of the Russian special military group, Wagner, said today, Thursday, that the Ukrainian forces are not leaving the city of Bakhmut and that fighting continues in the western part of the city.
“We must clearly say that the enemy is not going anywhere,” Prigozhin added on his Telegram channel.
He said that the Ukrainian forces organized fortified defenses inside the city, specifically along the railway lines and in high-rise buildings in the west of the city, and if they retreated, they would take new positions on the outskirts of the city and in Chasev Yar in the west. And he added, “That is the reason, in my opinion, that there is no talk now of any Russian attack.”
He made it clear that he is not yet satisfied with the support he receives from the regular Russian forces, including those attacking areas adjacent to the front.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky raised the possibility of his forces withdrawing from the city, saying Kiev would take “proportionate” decisions if the forces risked being encircled by Russian forces.
Zelensky also stated that the Ukrainian forces are facing a really difficult situation in Bakhmut, and that Kiev will take “corresponding” decisions to protect it if it faces the prospect of being surrounded by Russian forces.
He said that Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut sometimes advanced a bit before being forced back by Russian forces, but remained inside the city. He continued, “We are in Bakhmut, and the enemy does not control it.”
Pakhmut, in the Ukrainian province of Donetsk, which is mostly controlled by Russia, proved to be one of the bloodiest and longest-running battles of the war.
Ukrainian army on the battle fronts in Bakhmut
Kiev’s forces withstood a Russian attack that caused heavy casualties on both sides, and the city, a mining and transport hub, was reduced to ruins after months of street fighting and bombing.
Zelensky said: “The most important thing for me is not to lose our soldiers, and of course, if events intensified further and we faced a danger in which we might lose our soldiers due to a siege, the generals there will of course make corresponding correct decisions.” Zelensky was apparently referring to the idea of withdrawal.
But Hana Malyar, Ukraine’s deputy defense minister, later said the situation on the front was “completely under control” despite repeated Russian attempts to capture Bakhmut and other cities in the east.
She wrote on the Telegram application that Ukrainian soldiers defeated dozens of attacks every day around Bakhmut, Liman, Avdiivka and Marinka.
Ukrainian military leaders stressed the importance of holding Bakhmut and other towns and inflicting losses before an expected counteroffensive in the east by Kiev in the coming weeks or months.