EARLIER this week, the boss of Russia’s paramilitary Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) claimed that his group is successfully grinding the Ukrainian Army in Bakhmut but warned that a huge counteroffensive will be launched by Kyiv as soon as Wagner drives them out.
The battle for Bakhmut is nearing its 7 month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has promised to hold Bakhmut at all costs despite warnings from the west that his efforts to hold the city risk depleting Ukrainian forces and hindering Kyiv’s spring counteroffensive.
And what’s left of Bakhmut will witness an another impending bloodbath as Russian forces, led by the paramilitary Wagner, continues to push through to capture and occupy the entire city completely.
Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin on Monday said his forces in Bakhmut are successfully grinding with the Ukrainian Army, saying,
“Our task is to grind the Ukrainian Army, not to give them the opportunity to gather in a counteroffensive. We are doing this more than successfully.”
“So the vectors converge: The capture of Bakhmut, the counteroffensive, the supply of foreign equipment, our complete carelessness – everything converges into one point. Zelensky needs to strike without a miss, and no matter how he is criticized, he does it in a highly professional manner. And we need to do the same,” said Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner PMC Chief.
And on Thursday, Prigozhin claimed that Ukrainian armed forces will most likely start a counteroffensive on May 2 and warned that his fighters do not have enough ammunition.
He also accused what he described as ‘decision-makers’ in Russia of treason for not providing his group and military units of the Russian regular armed forces with the ammunition they needed to fight in Ukraine.
“The Armed Forces of Ukraine will launch a counteroffensive after May 2. They [The Ukrainian Army] are ready to cut our flanks. There is treason inside Russia. They don’t give us ammunition. We still have enough for two or three weeks.” said Yevgeny Prigozhin.
We will advance at any cost—Wagner Chief
Prigozhin said Ukrainian counterattacks were inevitable, and Ukraine is sending their well-trained units to Bakhmut. Still, he said Wagner would advance at any cost to grind down the Ukrainian army and disrupt their offensive.
“We will advance at any cost, just to grind down the Ukrainian Army and disrupt their offensive.” Yevgeny Prigozhin added.
The Wagner chief has long complained about the Russian Defense Ministry over a lack of arms and ammunition. Lately, he questioned why Russian forces had yet to launch missions to take the nearby cities of Kramatorsk or Sloviansk to relieve the pressure happening on Bakhmut.
Prigozhin’s statements come after declaring the formal capture of Bakhmut following the death of military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky and that his troops now control more than 80% of the city.
Last month, after complaining about the lack of supplies, the Wagner chief said he and his paramilitary had been blown away after finally starting to receive ammo.
Russian forces trying to cut key supply routes—Kyiv
Meanwhile, Ukranian officials said that Russian troops on Thursday tried to sever crucial supply routes to Bakhmut, putting more pressure on the Kyiv forces defending the area.
The Russian Defense Ministry, meanwhile, reported successes against Kyiv positions in different sectors. However, it made no direct reference to Bakhmut.
Just last week, Prigozhin said Ukrainian soldiers are dropping their weapons and leaving their posts.
His words were apparently a response to a question about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy allegedly ordering his troops to hold Bakhmut until May 9,
“In Chasovyi Yar and Kotsyantynivka, riots have begun among Ukranian soldiers: they are dropping their weapons, getting up, and leaving. Give them the opportunity to live longer, don’t kill tens of thousands of Ukrainians with your own hands,” Yevgeny Prigozhin added.
The 9th of May has great importance to Russia, as and this is the day of commemorating the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in 1945.
Prigozhin believes Zelenskyy intends to ruin the May 9 celebrations and that Ukraine has not launched its counteroffensive due to weather conditions.
