Ukraine denounced that there were corpses of civilians in the streets of Bakhmut due to attacks by Vladimir Putin’s troops

Ukrainian fighters resisting the Russian offensive on the city of Bakhmut denounced the presence of corpses of civilians in the streets and an intensification of fighting east of the city.

One of the members of a battalion of Chechens who support Ukraine, Jalid Makiazhorecounted by telephone from Bakhmut in statements to Sky News that the violence of the fighting prevents the collection of the bodies, recounted the “widespread destruction” of the city and denounced the “chaotic bombardment”.

The civilians who are still in the city take refuge in the basements and only come out when they have no other choice for food. “There are still people in town. Some are old and there are also corpses of civilians. We’re trying to get them back, but there’s no way”he pointed.

Makhiazo stressed that Russian forces have not taken the center of the city and remain on the outskirts despite official statements to the contrary. However, he acknowledged that things can change “incredibly quickly”.

“They are on the outskirts. Yes, they are here, but the city is under our control. I think there will be more fights. We’re not going to hand over the city like that.”he warned.

Meanwhile, Moscow assured that over the past 24 hours it has killed more than 220 Ukrainian fighters. “During the day, one infantry fighting vehicle, three armored fighting vehicles, seven vehicles and one D-30 artillery gun were also destroyed,” the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

On Saturday, it was Kiev that reported more than 500 Russian servicemen killed or injured in the past 24 hours in fighting for control of Bakhmut, where Russian forces and their Wagner mercenary group allies continue to attempt to surround the city.

Moscow stressed that capturing Bakhmut would deal a serious blow to Ukrainian defenses and be a major step forward in controlling the entire Donbass region.

For his part, the retired lieutenant-colonel of the people’s militia of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic, Andrei Marochkoreported that Russian troops occupied favorable positions in the industrial zone of the Bakhmut AZOM metallurgical plant.

“In the city of Artiomovsk (Russian name for Bakhmut), assault groups occupied favorable positions in the industrial zone of the metal processing plant ‘AZOM,’ he told the Russian agency. CASS.

According to Marochko, these positions allow Russian troops “to control enemy movements, in addition to creating a good bridgehead for the future advance of our forces”.

The day before, the leader of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhinreported that these forces approached just over a kilometer from the administrative center of the city.

Russian private army founder Wagner recorded the video from the roof of a building in Bakhmut, near the front line, and showed the location of the main Ukrainian fortifications overcome so far by the forces Russians.

For its part, the US Institute for War Studies (ISW) found that “geotagged images (…) indicate that Russian forces have advanced to new positions northwest of Bakhmut, 800 meters from the AZOM metal processing plant,” he said. .

According to the ISW, Russian forces could attempt a frontal attack on the heavily fortified factory, an assault that “will likely be very costly for the Wagner Group”.

With information from Europa Press and EFE

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