Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner mercenary group, the main Russian assault force in the fighting for the town of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, admitted today that Kiev troops will defend the besieged city "until the end".
"They will fight for Artiomovsk (Russian name for Bakhmut) to the end, that's self-evident," Prigozhin was quoted as saying by his press service.
He also added that Wagner's fighters must also do their job to the end. But for this, he assured, they need more help from the Russian military command.
"For the Ukrainian armed forces to unlock Artiomovsk, they first have to block the Wagners," Prigozhin said, adding that he was "knocking on all doors" to receive reinforcements and ammunition.
Prigozhin pointed out that if help arrives and everyone can do their job, it will be the Russians who will block the Ukrainians and not the other way around. Otherwise, everything will go to hell, he warned.
The Wagner chief's statements come after the commanders of the Ukrainian troops decided to continue the defensive operation in Bakhmut.
This opinion was expressed by both the Commander of the Land Army of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny.
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