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KIEV, Ukraine — Russian and Ukrainian forces are engaged in heavy fighting in Bakhmut, the eastern city where Ukrainian soldiers have withstood a month-long onslaught by the Russian army, officials from both countries said on Thursday. However, opinions differ as to whether this is the start of the much-anticipated spring counter-offensive in Kiev.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner mercenary group, a key element in the Russian attack on Bakhmut, said the Ukrainian operation was “in full swing” and its forces were attacking its flanks.
“Unfortunately, they are successful in some places,” Prigozhin said in an audio message posted on Telegram. “All units that have received the necessary training, weapons, equipment, tanks, everything else – they are already fully deployed.”
Later Thursday, he said the attack was proceeding “according to the worst of the scenarios predicted.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his forces would benefit from more time and equipment before launching the counteroffensive.
In an interview published Thursday by the BBC and European broadcasters, Zelenskyy said the operation “can now proceed and be successful” but it would result in “unacceptable” casualties for Ukrainian forces.
He said he had enough troops and they were mentally prepared for the counteroffensive, but “everything hasn’t arrived yet” and the army needs “some things”. He made similar comments to The Washington Post this month, saying Ukraine will launch the attack “once the weapons agreed with our partners are filled.”
Prigozhin said that Zelenskyy “deceived”.
The Wagner boss said areas that had been “looted for many months with the blood and lives of our fighting comrades, moving tens or hundreds of yards every day” were now being abandoned by Russian troops “virtually without a fight”.
The counterattack will be closely watched in western capitals whenever it is launched. If it appears that Ukraine’s forces are failing to achieve their goals, some here fear that pressure will increase on Zelenskyy to negotiate a peace deal with Moscow, or that Western support may wane.
Moscow had pledged to capture Bakhmut by Russia’s Victory Day on May 9, the Victory Day commemorating the end of World War II. This is of questionable strategic value, according to analysts, but has grown in importance as Moscow sacrificed large numbers of troops and equipment in an attempt to capture II. But as the day drew nearer, it became clear that the objective would not be achieved would.
Prigozhin has posted videos speaking out against the Russian military for allegedly not providing him with enough ammunition to achieve that goal.
Thursday’s fighting in Bakhmut was followed by Wednesday’s news of significant advances by Kiev’s armed forces. The Ukrainian military said they were pushing back Russian forces, destroying combat vehicles and taking prisoners of war.
Oleksandr Syrsky, commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, said that Russian forces “could not withstand the onslaught of Ukrainian defenders on some sections of the front line” and “withdrew to a distance of up to two kilometers.”
The Ukrainian attack “exhausted” Wagner’s mercenaries, Syrsky said, “forced them to be replaced in certain directions by less well-prepared units of the Russian regular troops, who were defeated and withdrew.”
Andriy Biletsky, commander of Ukraine’s 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, said Wednesday that his forces helped defeat units of Russia’s 72nd Brigade. Two Russian companies were “completely destroyed,” he said in a video posted to social media, and a group of Wagner fighters also “lost a lot.”
Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said Thursday his country’s armed forces had achieved a “partial success” in Bakhmut and Russian forces were “gradually” withdrawing.
However, he pointed out that Bakhmut covers an area of 41 square kilometers and that success there “depends on many factors”.
“We will not abandon Bakhmut and will keep it for as long as the military deems necessary,” he said.
Robyn Dixon and Natalia Abbakumova from Riga, Latvia contributed to this report.
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