Ukrainian commander Roman Hryshchenko said on Thursday the 11th that mercenaries from the Russian group Wagner had intensified attacks on the town of Bakhmut, one of the epicenters of the conflict. The statement came after the leader of the paramilitary force, Yevgeny Prigozhin, threatened to withdraw his troops from the site due to a lack of ammunition supplies from Moscow.
Hryshchenko claimed that, contrary to Prigozhin’s statements, the soldiers of the Wagner group showed no signs of military weakening as shelling and artillery attacks increased in recent days. The fighting in Bakhmut has been going on for more than nine months.
“They didn’t even come close to having an ammunition deficit. “In recent days, the intensity of shelling and rocket artillery has increased,” said the commander.
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According to Hryshchenko, his soldiers have been inhabiting the ruins for about two months to reinforce the counteroffensive in the city. He also said, without providing any evidence, that Russian troops suffered higher casualties compared to Ukrainian forces.
“(Russia) is losing a large part of its troops. Bakhmut has already fulfilled and continues to fulfill his main task. “Here we are massacring the enemy’s manpower,” he said in an interview with Portal news agency.
On the other hand, Hryshchenko increased the attack power of the Russian mercenary group and the difficulty of the Ukrainian team in controlling the outskirts. Before the invasion of Ukraine in February last year, only 30% of its soldiers had any military experience. He stressed that his troops were actively working to cover the urban area, which he described as a “great and difficult task”.
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This Wednesday, the 10th, a Ukrainian military unit reportedly expelled a Russian infantry brigade from an area near the town of Bakhmut after Prigozhin announced the withdrawal of his soldiers in the area.
“Our army is on the run. The 72nd brigade destroyed three square kilometers this morning, during which I lost about 500 men,” Prigozhin said.