Wagner Group claims to have taken control of Bakhmut city in eastern Ukraine - Ukraine rejects claim

Moscow/Kyiv – Russia’s Wagner Group has claimed to have captured Bakhmut, considered a decisive city in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. The head of the group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, informed that the flag of Wagner Group was hoisted on the administrative building in Bakhmut city. Photographs of the same have also been released on social media. However, Ukraine’s defence department has rejected the Wagner Group’s claim. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the situation in Bakhmut is very bad, but the control over it remains intact.

Moreover, Bakhmut is considered strategically important as a city located in the central part of the Donbas region of Ukraine. Since the roads connecting various cities in the Donbas area pass through the city, Bakhmut is crucial for Russian forces in terms of control over Donbas. The Russian military, which has been fighting for Bakhmut for the past few months, prioritised it in the new year. A large number of armaments were deployed along with new military units. Along with the Russian Army, the Wagner Group, a private military company, had also sent its leading troops to Bakhmut.

Furthermore, the Russian Army and the Wagner Group started advancing in Bakhmut, focusing on each area. Russia succeeded in capturing the eastern, southern and northern parts of the city. The Ukrainian leadership, which acknowledged that the situation in Bakhmut had become difficult, was reluctant to withdraw from the area. However, the events of the last few days have revealed that the resistance of the Ukrainian Army has fallen short in the face of Russia’s intense attacks. Just last week, Ukraine’s military also acknowledged that Russia was succeeding in the ongoing campaign in Bakhmut. According to a European news agency, it was claimed that about 80 per cent of the city of Bakhmut had been occupied by Russia.

Against this backdrop, the claim made by the Wagner Group on Sunday is noteworthy. The head of the Wagner Group, while announcing the takeover of Bakhmut, said it had gained ‘legal control’ over the city. Prigozhin also said that Ukrainian army units were trapped in the western part of the city. He also said that the success in Bakhmut is dedicated to the memory of Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has rejected the claim made by the head of the Wagner Group. The Ukrainian military said that Ukraine had repelled the attacks by Russia and its supporters. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and other leaders said the situation in Bakhmut was dire, but that control remained. Western countries expressed their displeasure over the Ukrainian government and Army’s deployment and use of arms stockpiles in Bakhmut. Western analysts and experts have pointed out that if Ukraine spends more manpower, weapons and time on one city, it will affect the counter-offensive campaign against Russia.

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