While the Russian authorities announced the capture of Bakhmout on Saturday, the Ukrainian government assures that its army encircles “partificially » the city.
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© Adrien Vautier / Le Pictorium / MAXPPP / Le Pictorium/Maxppp
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” AT as a result of the offensive actions of the assault units of Wagner, with the support of the artillery and aviation of the Southern unit, the liberation of the city of Artemovsk is complete », said the Russian Ministry of Defense, using the Soviet name of Bakhmout, Saturday evening, May 20. According to him, Bakhmout, the epicenter of the fighting in eastern Ukraine and the scene of the longest and bloodiest battle of the conflict, would have fallen into the hands of the Russian army.
Asked about this subject by the press, on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Japan, Volodymyr Zelensky replied ambivalently, then added: ” You must understand that there is nothing (over there). Today, Bakhmout is only in our hearts. » A little later, the spokesman for the Ukrainian president, Serguiï Nykyforov, insisted on clarifying the latter’s statements, assuring on Facebook that he had ” denied the capture of Bakhmout ». At a press conference, Zelensky later clarified that Russian troops were in Bakhmout but that the city was not ” not busy ».
For her part, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Maliar said on Telegram: ” The advance of our troops in the suburbs on the flanks, which continues, makes the presence of the enemy in Bakhmout very difficult. Our troops have partially surrounded the city. »
Zelensky meets Biden in Japan
Russian President Vladimir Putin, following the statement from his Ministry of Defense, congratulated Wagner and the army for ” the completion of the operation (which made it possible to) liberate Artemovsk »according to a Kremlin statement picked up by Russian news agencies, including Tass.
This claim comes during a surprise visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Hiroshima (Japan) for the G7 summit, where he met his American counterpart Joe Biden. The latter announced the supply of new American arms and ammunition to Ukraine.
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From Bakhmout, Yevgeny Prigojine – in conflict with the military hierarchy in Moscow – stressed that the capture of the city had taken ” 224 days » and that there was ” that Wagner here », not regular Russian army troops. According to him, his group will withdraw from the city from May 25 and leave its defense to the regular army, remaining available after rotation and training for future operations from Moscow.
The Vatican announced on Saturday that Pope Francis had entrusted a peace mission in Ukraine to Matteo Zuppi, cardinal of the Sant’Egidio community known for his work in the service of diplomacy.
Waiting for a Ukrainian counter-offensive
Moscow and kyiv suffered heavy losses in Bakhmout, a city of some 70,000 people before the Russian offensive, now largely devastated by fighting. Russian forces made slow progress there while taking nearby locations such as Soledar further north. In recent weeks they have controlled Bakhmout by more than 90%, no longer fighting within the city except against a last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in its western part.
However, Ukraine this week claimed more than 20 square kilometers from Russian forces north and south of the city, endangering Wagner’s flanks, which are held by regular Russian army troops.
Yevgeny Prigojine had regularly complained in recent days of a lack of support from the Russian army, believing that the bureaucracy in Moscow was putting ” Sticks in the wheels » of his group and that five times as many men had died in Bakhmout because of the ” whims » Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov.
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Russia, which launched its troops to attack Ukraine on February 24, 2022, suffered serious setbacks on the front, being forced to withdraw from the vicinity of Kiev, then from the Kharkiv region (northeast ) and the city of Kherson (South). The front was essentially fixed throughout the winter, with most of the fighting taking place in Bakhmout.
The two camps are now awaiting a major counter-offensive announced by the Ukrainian authorities, backed by Western arms deliveries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said recently that his army had ” need more time » to prepare for this assault.