Medics from the Da Vinci Wolves Battalion evacuate a wounded Ukrainian soldier near the front line of Bakhmut, Donetsk region, April 1, 2023 amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Rumbled roads have been turned into swamps by melted snow, making travel slower. The ambulance is covered in mud from the wheels to the roof. (Photo by Genya SAVILOV / AFP)
The leader of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner this Sunday evening, 2, called for the “legal” capture of Bakhmut in the east Ukraine. Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed that the city’s administrative building was under the control of Moscow. “In a legal sense, Bakhmut was taken. The enemy is concentrating on the western areas,” Prigozhin said on his Telegram channel. In a video accompanying the post, Prigozhin can be seen holding the Russian flag with an inscription honoring Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky, who was killed in a bombing of a cafe in St. Petersburg on Sunday. “The commanders of the units that have taken over the town hall and the entire center will raise this flag. This is the private military company Wagner, these are the guys who kidnapped Bakhmut. Legally, it’s ours,” he said.
However, the Ukrainian army denied the information, saying they are “still detaining” Bakhmout. “The enemy did not stop their attack on Bakhmout. However, the Ukrainian defenders are valiantly defending the city and repelling numerous enemy attacks,” the Ukrainian General Staff posted on its Facebook page hours before the Wagner Group claimed control of City Hall. On March 20, Prigozhin claimed control of 70% of the city from Wagner Group units. The battle for Bakhmut is the longest battle of the Russian offensive in Ukraine. Russian and Ukrainian forces have invested heavily in their fight for Bakhmut, although analysts see little strategic value in the city. Ukraine says fighting for this industrial city is key to keeping Russian forces at bay along the entire Eastern Front.
*With information from agency AFP