(Moscow) On Saturday evening, Moscow claimed the total capture of the city of Bakhmout, the epicenter of the fighting in eastern Ukraine and the scene of the longest and bloodiest battle in the country since the Russian assault in February 2022.
“As a result of the offensive actions of Wagner’s assault units, with the support of the artillery and aviation of the ‘South’ unit, the liberation of the city of Artemovsk is complete”, affirmed the Russian Defense Ministry, using the Soviet name of Bakhmut.
Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Maliar had claimed earlier on Telegram that Ukrainian defenders still controlled “some industrial facilities and infrastructure” and apartment buildings, although “the situation (is) critical”.
Moscow’s announcement follows that of Evguéni Prigojine, boss of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, who had already claimed a few hours earlier the capture of the city, epicenter of the fighting.
If confirmed, the capture of Bakhmout would allow Russia to post victory after a series of humiliating reverses. It would also intervene before a major counter-offensive that Kyiv says it has been preparing for months.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in the wake of the press release from his Ministry of Defense, congratulated Wagner and the army for “the completion of the operation (which made it possible to) liberate Artemovsk”, according to a press release from the Kremlin taken up by Russian news agencies, including TASS.
Zelensky-Biden meeting
This claim comes during a surprise visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Hiroshima (Japan) for the G7 Summit, where he is to meet his American counterpart Joe Biden.
The latter said he was “looking forward” to meeting Mr. Zelensky, after paving the way for future deliveries of American-made F-16 fighter jets to help Ukraine “defend itself” against Russia, said reported the White House.
The meeting is scheduled for a little after 2 p.m. (1 a.m. EST) on Sunday, according to a senior U.S. presidential official.
PHOTO LIBKOS, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Ukrainian soldiers fire cannons near Bakhmut, where fierce battles took place against Russian forces, in the Donetsk region on May 3.
From Bakhmout, Yevgeny Prigojine – in conflict with the military hierarchy in Moscow – pointed out that the capture of the city had taken “224 days” and that there were “only Wagner here”, no regular troops from the army. Russian army.
According to him, his group will withdraw from the city from May 25 and leave its defense to the regular army, remaining available after rotation and training for future operations from Moscow.
Vatican Peace Mission
The Vatican announced on Saturday that Pope Francis had entrusted a peace mission in Ukraine to Matteo Zuppi, cardinal of the Sant’Egidio community known for his work in the service of diplomacy.
PHOTO REMO CASILLI, REUTERS ARCHIVES
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi
Moscow and Kyiv suffered heavy losses in Bakhmout, a city of some 70,000 people before the Russian offensive, now largely devastated by fighting.
Russian forces made slow progress there while taking nearby locations such as Soledar further north. In recent weeks they have controlled Bakhmout by more than 90%, no longer fighting within the city except against a last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in its western part.
Ukraine, however, claimed this week the seizure of more than twenty square kilometers from Russian forces north and south of the city, endangering Wagner’s flanks, which are held by regular troops of the Russian army.
Yevgeny Pridozhin had regularly complained in recent days of a lack of support from the Russian army, believing that the bureaucracy in Moscow was putting “a spoke in the wheel” of his group and that five times as many men had died in Bakhmout because of the “whims” of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of Staff Valéri Guérassimov.
Russia, which launched its troops to storm Ukraine on February 24, 2022, suffered serious setbacks on the front, being forced to withdraw from the vicinity of Kyiv, then from the Kharkiv region (northeast ) and the city of Kherson (south).
The front was essentially fixed throughout the winter, with most of the fighting taking place in Bakhmout.
The two camps are now awaiting a major counter-offensive announced by the Ukrainian authorities, backed by Western arms deliveries.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said recently that his army “needs more time” to prepare for the assault.