02/25/2023 19:09 (act. 02/25/2023 19:09)
The Russians are closing in on Bakhmut’s Ukrainian defenders ©APA/AFP
According to its own statements, the Russian mercenary group Wagner has taken over a suburb of the city of Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine, which has been hard fought for months. Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin announced on Saturday that his fighters had taken “full control” over the village of Yahidne. On the Telegram online service, troops posted a photo of masked men waving a Wagner flag in front of the village sign, about two kilometers from the center of Bakhmut.
According to Russian news agency Tass, the Wagner Group press service accused Ukrainian troops of having blown up a dam near Bakhmut to stop the advance of Russian fighters. This information initially could not be independently verified. Russia has been trying for months to bring Bakhmut under its control. The struggle for the industrial city has brought tensions between the Russian army and the Wagner mercenary group to the forefront, which the Kremlin, however, denies.
The Battle of Bakhmut is the longest battle in the year-long Russian offensive. According to analysts, the city has little strategic importance – a recipe would therefore have mainly symbolic value for Moscow.