The paramilitary group Wagner claimed to have taken the town hall in Bakhmout, a city in eastern Ukraine at the heart of the fighting. These claims have not been confirmed by the Russian Defense Ministry.
Confusing situation in Bakhmout. Despite the claims of the paramilitary group Wagner, the Russian army confirmed, Monday, April 3, no progress in this city in eastern Ukraine. For its part, the Ukrainian army still provides “hold the town”. The day was also marked by the arrest of a woman suspected of being involved in the attack in a café in Saint Petersburg, which killed a famous Russian blogger, a supporter of the invasion of Ukraine. Franceinfo takes stock of what to remember from the day on the conflict.
The Russian army does not confirm any progress in Bakhmout
After the claims of the Wagner group claiming to have taken the town hall from Bakhmout, the Russian army has not confirmed any progress in this city in eastern Ukraine. During his daily press briefing on Monday, the spokesperson for the Russian Defense Ministry did not report any progress of Russian troops in Bakhmout, not even mentioning the name of the city.
Earlier, in a message broadcast overnight from Sunday to Monday on Telegram, the leader of Wagner, Yevgeny Prigojine, had however declared that his men had hoisted the Russian flag and the banner of his paramilitary group on the town hall of Bakhmout . On several occasions in recent months, the Wagner group has claimed military advances that have not been confirmed by the Russian Defense Ministry.
For its part, the staff of the Ukrainian army affirmed that the Russian attacks were repelled. “The enemy did not stop their assault on Bakhmout. However, the Ukrainian defenders bravely hold the city repelling numerous enemy attacks”he commented on Sunday evening.
Poland delivers fighter jets to Ukraine
Warsaw has delivered the first MiG-29 fighter jets it had promised to Ukraine, an adviser to the Polish presidency said on Monday, after a similar announcement from Slovakia in late March. “A few MiGs have already been sent, they are indeed useful for Ukraine to defend the security of all of us”Marcin Przydacz told private radio station RMF FM.
Poland had about fifteen MiGs, inherited in the 1990s from the armed forces of the German Democratic Republic (GDR).
An arrest after the attack that killed a Russian blogger
An explosion Sunday at a cafe in central St. Petersburg, Russia, killed a Russian blogger supporting the invasion of Ukraine. Vladlen Tatarsky, whose real name is Maxim Fomin, was killed in an attack carried out with “an explosive device”according authorities. According to a latest report, at least 32 people were injured in this explosion. Eight of them were in serious condition on Monday.
Russia announced on Monday the arrest of a woman suspected of having taken part in the attack by bringing a booby-trapped statuette into the café. The attack “was planned by the secret service of Ukraine”, assured the Anti-Terrorism Committee of Russia. The spokesman for the Russian president denounced “an act of terrorism”. Vladimir Putin posthumously decorated the blogger with the prestigious Order of Courage.
US journalist arrested in Russia appeals his detention
The defense of American journalist Evan Gershkovich, arrested in Russia last week on charges of “espionage” which he rejects, appealed on Monday against his detention. “The date of the hearing regarding the detention appeal will be announced this week”said a spokeswoman for the Moscow court in Lefortovo.
Evan Gershkovich, correspondent in Russia for the prestigious American daily wall street journal and former AFP journalist in Moscow, was placed in pre-trial detention last Thursday until at least May 29. He was arrested in Yekaterinburg by the Federal Security Service (FSB), which accuses him of“spying”. THE wall street journal and the reporter deny these accusations. US President Joe Biden called for his release on Friday.