{"id":6845,"date":"2023-05-07T18:54:36","date_gmt":"2023-05-07T17:54:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=6845"},"modified":"2023-05-07T19:40:32","modified_gmt":"2023-05-07T18:40:32","slug":"the-wagner-group-signaled-to-stay-in-bakhmut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/analysis\/defense\/the-wagner-group-signaled-to-stay-in-bakhmut\/2023\/05\/07\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"The Wagner Group signaled to stay in Bakhmut"},"content":{"rendered":"

KYIV<\/span>\u00a0(AFP)<\/span> –<\/span> Russia’s<\/span> Wagner<\/span> mercenary<\/span> group<\/span> appeared<\/span> to<\/span> ditch<\/span> plans<\/span> to<\/span> withdraw<\/span> from<\/span> Bakhmut<\/span> in<\/span> eastern<\/span> Ukraine,<\/span> saying<\/span> they<\/span> had<\/span> been<\/span> promised<\/span> more<\/span> arms<\/span> by<\/span> Moscow<\/span> and<\/span> suggesting<\/span> they<\/span> may<\/span> keep<\/span> up<\/span> their<\/span> assault<\/span> on<\/span> what<\/span> Russia<\/span> sees<\/span> as<\/span> a<\/span> stepping<\/span> stone<\/span> to<\/span> other<\/span> cities<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> Donbas<\/span> region.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Elsewhere,<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> and<\/span> Russian<\/span> media<\/span> reported<\/span> explosions<\/span> across<\/span> Russian-occupied<\/span> Crimea,<\/span> and<\/span> Russia’s<\/span> defence<\/span> ministry<\/span> said<\/span> its<\/span> air<\/span> defences<\/span> had<\/span> detected<\/span> and<\/span> destroyed<\/span> 22<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> drones<\/span> over<\/span> the<\/span> Black<\/span> Sea<\/span> overnight.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Wagner<\/span> chief<\/span> Yevgeny<\/span> Prigozhin<\/span> had<\/span> said<\/span> on<\/span> Friday<\/span> that<\/span> his<\/span> fighters,<\/span> who<\/span> have<\/span> spearheaded<\/span> a<\/span> months-long<\/span> assault<\/span> on<\/span> Bakhmut,<\/span> would<\/span> pull<\/span> out<\/span> after<\/span> being<\/span> starved<\/span> of<\/span> ammunition<\/span> and<\/span> suffering<\/span> “useless<\/span> and<\/span> unjustified”<\/span> losses<\/span> as<\/span> a<\/span> result.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>But<\/span> in<\/span> an<\/span> audio<\/span> message<\/span> posted<\/span> on<\/span> his<\/span> Telegram<\/span> channel<\/span> on<\/span> Sunday,<\/span> he<\/span> said:<\/span>
\n<\/span>“We<\/span> have<\/span> been<\/span> promised<\/span> as<\/span> much<\/span> ammunition<\/span> and<\/span> weapons<\/span> as<\/span> we<\/span> need<\/span> to<\/span> continue<\/span> further<\/span> operations.<\/span> We<\/span> have<\/span> been<\/span> promised<\/span> that<\/span> everything<\/span> needed<\/span> to<\/span> prevent<\/span> the<\/span> enemy<\/span> from<\/span> cutting<\/span> us<\/span> off<\/span> (from<\/span> supplies)<\/span> will<\/span> be<\/span> deployed.”<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>A<\/span> spokesman<\/span> for<\/span> Russia’s<\/span> defence<\/span> ministry<\/span> did<\/span> not<\/span> respond<\/span> to<\/span> a<\/span> request<\/span> for<\/span> comment<\/span> after<\/span> Prigozhin’s<\/span> latest<\/span> statement.<\/span> Russian<\/span> officials<\/span> have<\/span> repeatedly<\/span> tried<\/span> to<\/span> allay<\/span> concerns<\/span> that<\/span> front-line<\/span> forces<\/span> have<\/span> not<\/span> received<\/span> enough<\/span> supplies.<\/span> He<\/span> said<\/span> he<\/span> received<\/span> good<\/span> ammunition.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>On<\/span> the<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> side,<\/span> in<\/span> response<\/span> to<\/span> a<\/span> Reuters<\/span> question<\/span> about<\/span> Prigozhin’s<\/span> comments,<\/span> Ukraine’s<\/span> Eastern<\/span> Command<\/span> spokesman<\/span> Serhiy<\/span> Cherevaty<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> Russian<\/span> army<\/span> had<\/span> “more<\/span> than<\/span> enough”<\/span> ammunition.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>He<\/span> said<\/span> that<\/span> Prigogine’s<\/span> comments<\/span> were<\/span> intended<\/span> to<\/span> divert<\/span> attention<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> heavy<\/span> casualties<\/span> Wagner<\/span> suffered<\/span> from<\/span> throwing<\/span> so<\/span> many<\/span> troops<\/span> into<\/span> battle.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u201cIn<\/span> the<\/span> last<\/span> 24<\/span> hours,<\/span> there<\/span> have<\/span> been<\/span> 489<\/span> artillery<\/span> shellings<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> Bahmut<\/span> area.<\/span> Is<\/span> this<\/span> an<\/span> ammunition<\/span> shortage?\u201d<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Prigozhin’s<\/span> threat<\/span> to<\/span> withdraw<\/span> from<\/span> Bakhmut<\/span> was<\/span> received<\/span> by<\/span> Russian<\/span> forces<\/span> as<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> made<\/span> final<\/span> preparations<\/span> for<\/span> a<\/span> counterattack,<\/span> supported<\/span> by<\/span> thousands<\/span> of<\/span> armored<\/span> vehicles<\/span> donated<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> West<\/span> and<\/span> newly<\/span> trained<\/span> troops.<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>The<\/span> battle<\/span> for<\/span> Bakhmut<\/span> has<\/span> been<\/span> the<\/span> most<\/span> intense<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> conflict,<\/span> costing<\/span> thousands<\/span> of<\/span> lives<\/span> on<\/span> both<\/span> sides<\/span> in<\/span> months<\/span> of<\/span> grinding<\/span> warfare.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Ukrainian<\/span> troops<\/span> have<\/span> been<\/span> pushed<\/span> back<\/span> in<\/span> recent<\/span> weeks<\/span> but<\/span> have<\/span> clung<\/span> on<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> city<\/span> to<\/span> inflict<\/span> as<\/span> many<\/span> Russian<\/span> losses<\/span> as<\/span> possible<\/span> ahead<\/span> of<\/span> Kyiv’s<\/span> planned<\/span> big<\/span> push<\/span> against<\/span> the<\/span> invading<\/span> forces<\/span> along<\/span> the<\/span> 1,000-km<\/span> (620-mile)<\/span> front<\/span> line.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> military<\/span> said<\/span> on<\/span> Sunday<\/span> that<\/span> Russian<\/span> forces<\/span> were<\/span> evacuating<\/span> residents<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> town<\/span> that<\/span> serves<\/span> the<\/span> Russian-occupied<\/span> Zaporizhzhia<\/span> nuclear<\/span> power<\/span> plant<\/span> in<\/span> southern<\/span> Ukraine.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>In<\/span> its<\/span> morning<\/span> update,<\/span> Ukraine’s<\/span> General<\/span> Staff<\/span> said<\/span> Russian<\/span> forces<\/span> were<\/span> evacuating<\/span> local<\/span> Russian<\/span> passport-holders<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> port<\/span> city<\/span> of<\/span> Berdyansk<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> town<\/span> of<\/span> Prymorsk,<\/span> both<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> coast<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Sea<\/span> of<\/span> Azov.<\/span> After<\/span> Russian<\/span> long-range<\/span> bombers<\/span> attacked<\/span> the<\/span> southern<\/span> region<\/span> with<\/span> five<\/span> Kh-22<\/span> cruise<\/span> missiles,<\/span> Mykolaiv<\/span> Governor<\/span> Vitaly<\/span> Kim<\/span> said<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> social<\/span> media<\/span> post<\/span> that<\/span> buildings<\/span> and<\/span> territory<\/span> of<\/span> an<\/span> unspecified<\/span> company<\/span> had<\/span> been<\/span> damaged<\/span> overnight.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KYIV\u00a0(AFP) – Russia’s Wagner mercenary group appeared to ditch plans to withdraw from Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, saying they had been promised more arms by Moscow and suggesting they may keep up their assault on what Russia sees as a stepping stone to other cities in the Donbas region. Elsewhere, Ukrainian and Russian media reported […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6846,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[26,276,2480,2482],"tags":[4643,4644,4645,4647,4779,4780,4781,4782,4783,4391,4784,4392,4785,4393,4786,4396,4787,4637,4788,4638,4789,4642],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/wagner.jpg","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6845"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6845"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6845\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6850,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6845\/revisions\/6850"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6846"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}