The pro-Russian Wagner group claimed that its mercenaries had “virtually surrounded” the Ukrainian town of Bakhmut

The owner of Wagner Groupthe russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhinassured this Friday that his mercenaries “virtually surrounded” the Ukrainian town of Bakhmutlocated in the Donetsk region (east) and one of the main targets of the Russian military offensive in this area of ​​the country.

“The divisions of the Wagner group practically surrounded Bakhmut, only one road left“, said Prigozhin in a message published by his press service, addressed to the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenskyas reported by Russian News Agency TASS.

Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Painterannounced on Wednesday the decision to send reinforcements to Bakhmut — the scene for weeks of intense clashes — ahead of recent Russian advances around a key city for Kremlin interests in eastern Ukraine.

Russian troops have recently reached significant progress taking the enclaves bordering the city. Moscow places particular strategic value on Bakhmut, since it is from there that most of the supplies kyiv sends to its troops on the eastern front of the conflict.

Previously, a Ukrainian officer, identified by the name “Magiar”, pointed out in Telegram that his unit had been ordered to Bakhmut’s replacementwhere so far some 4,500 civilians out of more than 70,000 who lived in the city before the outbreak of the war.

Zelensky said Ukrainian troops would defend Bakhmut “as long as it’s reasonable”Therefore, its withdrawal to defensive lines located west of the city is not excluded.

Similarly, Ukraine assured that “it survived the the hardest winter in its historydespite Russian bombings that left millions without power, a year after Moscow began its illegal invasion.

“We won this winter. It was very difficult and every Ukrainian experienced this difficulty, but we were able to supply Ukraine with energy and heating,” Zelensky said.

(With information from Europa Press and EFE)

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