Ukrainian army on the battle fronts around Bakhmut
Russia and Ukraine
Prigozhin announced that his forces had taken control of the village of Yagedny, located on the northern outskirts of Bakhmut
The head of the Russian armed Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, announced on Saturday evening that his elements had taken control of the village of Yagedny, located on the northern outskirts of Bakhmut, the Ukrainian city that Russian forces have been trying to control since the summer.
The control of Yagidny tightens the Russian noose around Bakhmut, especially since the village is located less than two kilometers from the center of this fortified city, which is of little strategic importance but has become a symbol of control over the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine.
Prigozhin said in a message published by his media apparatus via “Telegram”: “At seven o’clock in the evening on February 25, Wagner’s offensive units took control of the entire village of Yagedny, north of Bakhmut.”
A photo posted on the Telegram account showed armed men carrying the Wagner flag in front of a banner at the entrance to Yagidni village.
A picture circulated by Russian websites of Wagner fighters in Yagedny
The news agency “Tass” quoted Wagner’s media agency as saying that the Ukrainian forces blew up a dam located near Bakhmut in order to slow down the advance of the Russian forces.
The media said, “In fact, the Ukrainian forces blew up the dam,” noting that it is located at Pivnivchi Lake, west of Bakhmut.
This comes while a Ukrainian military report confirmed that the villages near Bakhmut are still under Kiev’s control.
According to the latest report of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Army, Russian forces made unsuccessful advances in villages around Bakhmut, including Berkhivka.
The village of Yahidni was not mentioned in the report, but it said that 18 residential communities in the area were bombed by Russian forces, including villages at the southern and western entrances to Bakhmut.
Russian forces have been trying for several weeks to surround Bakhmut, and have succeeded in cutting off a number of important supply routes for Ukrainian forces.
On Friday, the Wagner Group, which is fighting on the front lines in this battle, announced the control of Barkhivka, north of Bakhmut, after it announced control of Paraskovichivka last week.
In recent weeks, severe tension has prevailed between the armed group and the Russian army, as Prigozhin accused this army of not providing him with the ammunition he needed.