Russia’s Wagner group on Monday claimed to have taken complete control of the city of Bakhmut, a focal point of Russia’s ongoing offensive attacks against Ukraine. Capturing Bakhmut could pave the way for Russian troops to take control of the eastern part of Ukraine. According to reports, Wagner has restricted Ukrainian troops by surrounding them and cutting off their supplies.
Wagner Group’s Claims
Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner Group, made the announcement through an audio message on his Telegram channel, saying, “Everything east of [the] Bakhmut river is completely under the control of Wagner.” Progozhin said in the voice recording that Wagner units are in control of Bakhmut.
Prigozhin’s announcement comes a week after he claimed that Wagner troops have “completely encircled” Bakhmut and are just days away from establishing control.
Even though Prigozhin has accused the Russian Defence Ministry of not providing Wagner soldiers with ammunition and turning a blind eye to the mercenaries, the Kremlin appears to be pleased with the progress in Bakhmut.
Eastern #Ukraine: #Donetsk Oblast
— ISW (@TheStudyofWar) March 1, 2023
Russian forces made tactical gains in northern #Bakhmut and continued ground attacks around Bakhmut and in the #Avdiivka-Donetsk City area on February 28. 🧵(1/7)https://t.co/50QKAMBmZ5 pic.twitter.com/s2fydtIfPg
Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said earlier this week that capturing Bakhmut would allow Russian troops to launch more offensives in the regions nearby, helping Moscow’s cause to fully control the Donbas region. He also noted that Russian control of Bakhmut would weaken Ukrainian defences.
In a video posted on his Telegram channel on Wednesday, Prigozhin called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to evacuate citizens from Bakhmut because a Russian offensive is on the way.
Wagner Group
The Wagner Group is a private Russian paramilitary unit of mercenaries fighting for the Kremlin in Ukraine. It is the leading group involved in capturing the eastern part of the war-torn country.
The Wagner Group of mercenaries are not just restricted to Russia, its activities span across countries, including in Syria, Libya, Sudan, and the Central African Republic (CAR), and Mali
NATO Chief’s Warnings
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has warned that “Bakhmut may eventually fall in the coming days.” Noting that Ukrainian forces have “suffered big losses” in Bakhmut in recent days, the city could succumb to the Russian military.
However, he stressed that this does not necessarily reflect any turning point of the war and it just highlights that we should not underestimate Russia.” Highlighting that NATO allies have been generous in providing military support to Kyiv, Stoltenberg insisted that the alliance “must continue to provide support to Ukraine.”
Ukrainian Setback
Currently, Ukrainian troops have not withdrawn from Bakhmut and are trying to hold the city as the Russian military along with Wagner mercenaries continue to pound the city relentlessly and launch offensives.
Russian troops are trying to “sever” the supplies of Ukrainian forces. In this regard, Zelensky has stated that Ukrainian troops “will probably have to leave Bakhmut” if the situation arises, as they cannot afford to lose all their military force in one region.
Battle of Bakhmut
The battle for Bakhmut started in August 2022 and has emerged as a vital region of strategic importance for both Moscow and Kyiv. Russia considers Bakhmut a part of the Donetsk People’s Republic, which is occupied by a significant ethnic Russian population and is also known for its salt and gypsum mines.
Strategically, Bakhmut has roads connecting to the Donetsk region, which is very important for both countries.
Russia focuses on acquiring control over the two most prominent regions — Donetsk and Luhansk, which lie within the region of Donbas. The fall of Bakhmut will help Russia fully capture and take control of Donetsk, one of the Ukrainian regions that were annexed illegally by Moscow.
The Battle of Bakhmut caused a significant number of casualties in troops on both sides. Russia reports having lost nearly 20,000 to 30,000 troops in the fight, which began last summer. Ukraine also paid a heavy price; a statement released by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Ukraine lost nearly 11,000 troops in February alone.
The situation in Bakhmut has deteriorated rapidly and, according to the UN, has resulted in a serious humanitarian crisis, with only around 4,500 people remaining out of a pre-war population of around 73,000.