{"id":6889,"date":"2023-05-13T10:42:29","date_gmt":"2023-05-13T09:42:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=6889"},"modified":"2023-05-13T10:50:05","modified_gmt":"2023-05-13T09:50:05","slug":"russia-confirms-retreat-in-north-of-bakhamut-prigozhin-calls-it-a-rout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/analysis\/defense\/russia-confirms-retreat-in-north-of-bakhamut-prigozhin-calls-it-a-rout\/2023\/05\/13\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia confirms retreat in north of Bakhamut, Prigozhin calls it a “rout”"},"content":{"rendered":"

KYIV<\/span> (Reuters)<\/span> –<\/span> Moscow<\/span> confirmed<\/span> that<\/span> its<\/span> forces<\/span> had<\/span> retreated<\/span> north<\/span> after<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> forces<\/span> launched<\/span> a<\/span> new<\/span> offensive<\/span> north<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> battlefield<\/span> town<\/span> of<\/span> Bakhmut.<\/span> It<\/span> was<\/span> a<\/span> retreat<\/span> that<\/span> Russian<\/span> private<\/span> army<\/span> commander<\/span> Mr.<\/span> Wagner<\/span> described<\/span> as<\/span> a<\/span> rout.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Russia’s<\/span> setback<\/span> following<\/span> similar<\/span> reports<\/span> of<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> forces<\/span> marching<\/span> south<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> city<\/span> was<\/span> to<\/span> encircle<\/span> Russian<\/span> forces<\/span> at<\/span> Moscow’s<\/span> main<\/span> objective,<\/span> Bakhmut,<\/span> during<\/span> the<\/span> bloodiest<\/span> months<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> war.<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>“In<\/span> a<\/span> three-day<\/span> counterattack,<\/span> the<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> army<\/span> has<\/span> liberated<\/span> 17.3<\/span> square<\/span> kilometers<\/span> (6.6<\/span> square<\/span> miles)<\/span> of<\/span> territory<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> Bakhmut<\/span> district,”<\/span> Serhiy<\/span> Cherevati,<\/span> spokesman<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> Army<\/span> “Eastern”<\/span> Group,<\/span> said<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> messaging<\/span> app<\/span> Telegram.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Both<\/span> sides<\/span> are<\/span> now<\/span> reporting<\/span> the<\/span> biggest<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> gains<\/span> in<\/span> six<\/span> months,<\/span> although<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> has<\/span> given<\/span> few<\/span> details<\/span> and<\/span> played<\/span> down<\/span> suggestions<\/span> a<\/span> huge,<\/span> long-planned<\/span> counteroffensive<\/span> has<\/span> officially<\/span> begun.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Russian<\/span> Defence<\/span> Ministry<\/span> spokesman<\/span> Igor<\/span> Konashenkov<\/span> said<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> had<\/span> launched<\/span> an<\/span> assault<\/span> north<\/span> of<\/span> Bakhmut<\/span> with<\/span> more<\/span> than<\/span> 1,000<\/span> troops<\/span> and<\/span> up<\/span> to<\/span> 40<\/span> tanks,<\/span> a<\/span> scale<\/span> that<\/span> if<\/span> confirmed<\/span> would<\/span> amount<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> biggest<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> offensive<\/span> since<\/span> November.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> Russians<\/span> had<\/span> repelled<\/span> 26<\/span> attacks<\/span> but<\/span> troops<\/span> in<\/span> one<\/span> area<\/span> had<\/span> fallen<\/span> back<\/span> to<\/span> regroup<\/span> in<\/span> more<\/span> favourable<\/span> positions<\/span> near<\/span> the<\/span> Berkhivka<\/span> reservoir<\/span> northwest<\/span> of<\/span> Bakhmut,<\/span> Konashenkov<\/span> said.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Yevgeny<\/span> Prigozhin,<\/span> head<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Wagner<\/span> forces<\/span> that<\/span> have<\/span> led<\/span> the<\/span> campaign<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> city,<\/span> said<\/span> in<\/span> an<\/span> audio<\/span> message:<\/span>
\n<\/span>“What<\/span> Konashenkov<\/span> described,<\/span> unfortunately,<\/span> is<\/span> called<\/span> ‘a<\/span> rout’<\/span> and<\/span> not<\/span> a<\/span> regrouping”.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>In<\/span> a<\/span> separate<\/span> video<\/span> message,<\/span> Prigozhin<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> Ukrainians<\/span> had<\/span> seized<\/span> high<\/span> ground<\/span> overlooking<\/span> Bakhmut<\/span> and<\/span> opened<\/span> the<\/span> main<\/span> highway<\/span> leading<\/span> into<\/span> the<\/span> city<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> West.<\/span> \u201cThe<\/span> loss<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Belkivka<\/span> Reservoir,<\/span> the<\/span> loss<\/span> of<\/span> this<\/span> territory<\/span> they<\/span> abandoned,<\/span> today<\/span> alone<\/span> amounts<\/span> to<\/span> 5<\/span> square<\/span> kilometers,\u201d<\/span> Prigozhin<\/span> said.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u201cThe<\/span> enemy<\/span> has<\/span> completely<\/span> unblocked<\/span> the<\/span> Chasif<\/span> Yar-Bakhmut<\/span> road<\/span> that<\/span> we<\/span> had<\/span> blocked.<\/span> occupied<\/span> high<\/span> ground,”<\/span> said<\/span> Prigozhin,<\/span> who<\/span> repeatedly<\/span> criticized<\/span> the<\/span> Russian<\/span> regular<\/span> army<\/span> last<\/span> week<\/span> and<\/span> was<\/span> convicted<\/span> of<\/span> undersupplying<\/span> Bakhmut’s<\/span> men.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Two<\/span> rockets<\/span> hit<\/span> an<\/span> industrial<\/span> park<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> Russian<\/span> territory<\/span> of<\/span> Luhansk,<\/span> about<\/span> 100<\/span> kilometers<\/span> behind<\/span> the<\/span> front<\/span> lines,<\/span> according<\/span> to<\/span> Russian-based<\/span> officials.<\/span> A<\/span> video<\/span> posted<\/span> online<\/span> showed<\/span> a<\/span> huge<\/span> column<\/span> of<\/span> smoke<\/span> rising<\/span> over<\/span> the<\/span> city.<\/span> The<\/span> attack<\/span> came<\/span> just<\/span> outside<\/span> the<\/span> range<\/span> of<\/span> Ukraine’s<\/span> previously<\/span> deployed<\/span> main<\/span> battlefield<\/span> missiles,<\/span> a<\/span> day<\/span> after<\/span> Britain<\/span> announced<\/span> it<\/span> would<\/span> deploy<\/span> long-range<\/span> cruise<\/span> missiles.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Ukrainian<\/span> soldiers<\/span> in<\/span> tanks<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> road<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> front-line<\/span> town<\/span> of<\/span> Bakhmut<\/span>
\n<\/span>Ukrainian<\/span> military<\/span> personnel<\/span> ride<\/span> tanks<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> road<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> front-line<\/span> town<\/span> of<\/span> Bakhmut<\/span> during<\/span> the<\/span> Russian<\/span> offensive<\/span> against<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> on<\/span> May<\/span> 12,<\/span> 2023<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> Donetsk<\/span> region<\/span> of<\/span> Ukraine.<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>The<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> army’s<\/span> advance<\/span> near<\/span> Bakhmut<\/span> appears<\/span> to<\/span> have<\/span> started<\/span> on<\/span> Tuesday,<\/span> with<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> troops<\/span> southwest<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> town<\/span> saying<\/span> they<\/span> had<\/span> defeated<\/span> a<\/span> Russian<\/span> brigade<\/span> and<\/span> regained<\/span> some<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> land.<\/span> Prigozhin<\/span> also<\/span> said<\/span> that<\/span> the<\/span> Russian<\/span> brigade<\/span> fled<\/span> there.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Reuters<\/span> was<\/span> unable<\/span> to<\/span> independently<\/span> verify<\/span> the<\/span> situation<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> region.<\/span> In<\/span> a<\/span> report<\/span> on<\/span> Friday<\/span> evening,<\/span> the<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> military<\/span> command<\/span> referred<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> fighting<\/span> in<\/span> Bakhmut<\/span> and<\/span> Russian<\/span> artillery<\/span> shelling<\/span> of<\/span> surrounding<\/span> towns,<\/span> but<\/span> did<\/span> not<\/span> mention<\/span> the<\/span> Russian<\/span> advance<\/span> or<\/span> retreat.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KYIV (Reuters) – Moscow confirmed that its forces had retreated north after Ukrainian forces launched a new offensive north of the battlefield town of Bakhmut. It was a retreat that Russian private army commander Mr. Wagner described as a rout. Russia’s setback following similar reports of Ukrainian forces marching south of the city was to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6890,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[26,276,2480,2482],"tags":[4869,4870,4871,4872,4873,4388,4393,4426],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/download-9.jpg","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6889"}],"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=6889"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6889\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6891,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6889\/revisions\/6891"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6890"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6889"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6889"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6889"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}