WAGNER Private Military Company (PMC) chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, claimed that Russian forces are in full control of the eastern part of the Donbas City of Bakhmut, also known as Artyomovsk in Russia.
The Wagner chief made the claims in an audio message published on social media on Wednesday.
In his message, Prigozhin said, “The units of the Wagner Group PMC have taken over the entire eastern part of Artyomovsk. Everything east of the Bakhmutka River is completely under the control of the Wagner Group.”
Later, Prigozhin uploaded a video showing himself next to the famous T-34 tank monument in Bakhmut, where he appealed again to Zelenskyy to evacuate old men and children, bring proper combat-ready units into the city, and be honest with Wagner PMC.
Prigozhin also warned that well-trained Russian units are waiting to begin combat after the fall of Bakhmut.
The Wagner chief also talked about what he thinks will happen after the capture of Bakhmut.
Reports say that Prigozhin’s warning implies that there is a secret Russian army ready to go when Bakhmut falls and operational space opens.
Earlier this week, Russian military officials said that their forces said that the encirclement of Moscow forces in Bakhmut had almost been completed.
Meanwhile, earlier this week, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin suggested that Bakhmut was more symbolic rather than operational importance and that the fall of Bakhmut won’t necessarily mean that Russian forces have changed the tides in the fight.
“I think it is more of a symbolic value than it is strategic and operational value…the fall of Bakhmut won’t necessarily mean that the Russians have changed the tide of this fight,” said Sec. Lloyd Austin, US Department of Defense.
Austin’s words, however, were met with criticism from Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, who said that taking Bakhmut will allow Russian forces to further offensive actions deep into the defenses of the Ukrainian army.
Russia claims that the small city of Bakhmut is a major stronghold and logistics hub for Ukrainian forces in Donetsk, and the besieged city has witnessed some of the fiercest bloodbaths since the conflict broke out in February last year.
