On the 3rd (local time), the 373rd day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it was found that the Battle of Bahmut, the largest battlefield, was leaning towards the victory of the Russian army.
According to foreign media such as AFP and CNN on the 3rd (local time), Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian mercenary company Wagner Group, said through a social media video that day, “The Wagner group has virtually surrounded Bahmut, and now only one road remains.”
Prigozhin said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should withdraw Ukrainian troops from Bakhmut.
He also turned the camera to show the scene asking the Ukrainian prisoners to withdraw.
There have also been moves by the Ukrainian Army to withdraw some troops from Bahmut.
In a video posted on social media, Bahmut’s Ukrainian drone unit commander Robert Brody said his unit had been ordered to withdraw immediately.
“In the middle of the night, we received orders to move our troops from Bahmut to our new operational location,” said Brody.
Bahmut is considered one of the fiercest battlegrounds in the war that lasted more than a year. Ukraine and Russia have been fighting for possession since July of last year. Both sides suffered heavy casualties as they went into a war of attrition.
Bakhmut is a place where provincial highways intersect, and if the Russian army seizes this place, it can advance to the main city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.
Experts see the capture of Bahmut as more symbolic for both sides. It is said that Russia will be victorious after repeated defeats, and it will be difficult for Ukraine to decide to withdraw as it will give up a fortress it has maintained for months.
President Zelensky also compared the Battle of Bahmut to the Battle of Saratoga, which became the turning point of victory in the American Revolutionary War, in his address to the U.S. Congress, expressing his will to fight to the death.
However, Ukraine recently mentioned the possibility of a strategic retreat over the Bahmut situation.
“The Wagner Group, a private Russian mercenary company, is trying to besiege Bahmut,” said Alexander Rodnyansky, an aide to the President. “Our military will consider all options.”
However, Ukrainian forces have not officially made a decision to withdraw. Ukrainian forces told CNN that rumors that they were preparing to withdraw from Bahmut are untrue.
The Ukrainian Center for Strategic Communications claimed that the video released by Prigozhin appears to have been filmed outside the city, not inside the city.
The center said the video was “part of a disinformation campaign against the Ukrainian people to spread fear”.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.