The Ukrainian army claims to be carrying out counter-attacks in the devastated city of Bakhmout, whose President Volodymyr Zelensky has denied the capture claimed by Russia.
The leader of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner Evguéni Prigojine, whose men are on the front line in the fighting, then the Russian Ministry of Defense assured on Saturday that it had "totally liberated" Bakhmout, a mining town in eastern Ukraine and epicenter of the longest and deadliest battle of the war that began in February 2022.
But Volodymyr Zelensky, who was in Japan for a G7 summit during which he gathered diplomatic support and military aid, assured Sunday that the city "is not occupied" by Russian troops, after a series of declarations ambiguous about the situation on the spot.
"There is nothing in this place (...) just ruins and a lot of dead Russians," he said, seeming to suggest that Bakhmout would only be a Pyrrhic victory for the Russians. He compared the destruction there to that caused by the US atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945.
The commander of the Ukrainian ground forces, Oleksandre Syrsky, told him that his troops now controlled only an "insignificant" part of Bakhmout, while "continuing to advance" on the flanks north and south of the city.
According to Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Maliar, Kiev forces have "partially surrounded" Bakhmout thanks to their recent breakthrough on these flanks held by Russian regular troops, which according to her makes it "very difficult" for the Russian presence in the city.
She again claimed that the Ukrainian defenders in Bakhmut itself still control "certain industrial facilities and infrastructure".
A spokesman for the Ukrainian army on the eastern front, Sergiy Tcherevatyj, said Sunday evening that his troops were carrying out counter-attacks in Bakhmout and the surrounding area.
Russian forces are "trying to take control of the whole city. Our units are defending several buildings and a number of fortifications in the southwestern part" of Bakhmout, he told state television. .
Violent clashes took place in other eastern towns and villages, including Mariinka and Avdiivka in the Donetsk region, according to a statement from the Ukrainian General Staff, which said the Russians carried out four missile strikes and 45 airstrikes on Sunday.
"Bakhmut and Mariinka remain the epicenter of hostilities," the statement said. "Battle for the city of Bakhmut continues".
The capture of Bakhmout was claimed by Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigojine on Saturday, who assured that he would hand over control of the city to Russian regular troops on May 25.
Mr Prigojine insisted on Sunday that the city had been taken “every inch” within its “legal borders”. "There is not a single Ukrainian soldier in Bakhmout," he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Wagner's men and the Russian army on Saturday for "the completion of the operation (which made it possible to) liberate" Bakhmout and promised to decorate the soldiers who distinguished themselves in this battle.
If confirmed, the capture of Bakhmout would allow Russia to post victory after a series of humiliating reverses.
It would also intervene before a major counter-offensive that kyiv says it has been preparing for months, with strong deliveries of Western weapons.
Volodymyr Zelensky, however, admitted this week that Ukraine needed "more time" to implement this counter-offensive intended to take back the territories they occupy from the Russians.
After a series of talks with the leaders of the G7 countries, including the president of the United States Joe Biden, he obtained the American promise of new deliveries of ammunition, artillery and armored vehicles. adding to Washington's green light on Friday to supply the F-16 fighter jets it has long craved.
Moscow and kyiv suffered heavy losses in Bakhmout, a city of some 70,000 inhabitants before the Russian offensive, now largely destroyed by fighting.
This battle was also the scene of an open conflict between Yevgeny Prigojine and the Russian general staff, towards which Wagner's boss multiplied the insults, accusing him of not providing his men with enough ammunition on purpose to weaken them.
Ukraine's Interior Ministry reported on Sunday that it had evacuated ten civilians from Bakhmout. The number of inhabitants remaining in the devastated city is unknown, but probably very low.
"The rescue operation was difficult on the road in the middle of mines and under fire from the occupants," he said. "If hell exists, it is in Bakhmout," said one of the evacuated residents, quoted by the Ukrainian ministry.
22/05/2023 03:06:07 - Kiev (Ukraine) (AFP) © 2023 AFP
