Although Kiev still refuses to take Bagmuth, Russia is already awarding fighters with medals. Wagner’s mercenaries continue to advance on the Autobahn.
Updated on May 23, 12:01 pm: After massive territorial gains in the Battle of Pakmut, Russia’s troops are apparently making further advances in the Ukraine war. Attackers must primarily exploit existing infrastructure. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on Tuesday (May 23) that mercenaries from the Wagner Group had seized the TO504 highway southwest of the city. It said Russian flags on buildings in the west could also represent the capture of other cities. To the west of the city of Donetsk, Russian units are said to have advanced along the highway.
In the past few days, Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigoschin has already announced the success of Bakhmut several times. Nevertheless, fighting broke out repeatedly in some parts of the city. According to him, the mercenaries intend to withdraw in the coming days and hand over control of the destroyed city to the Russian army. However, a chaotic situation prevails in the area.
Battle of Pakmut is decided: Moscow distributes medals – but what is the point of victory?
First reported May 22, 3:46 p.m: Kyiv/Moscow – The Battle of Pakmut has baffled experts for months, and Wagner’s alleged capture by mercenaries and Russian soldiers doesn’t change that. Kiev continues to maintain the presence of the last defenders in the city, even as Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin announces that his mercenaries will be withdrawn from the city after months of costly fighting.
For months, observers and war experts have maintained their assessment that Pakmut does not play a significant role for either side in the war in Ukraine — except perhaps morally. Although Russian media are now celebrating the capture of the city in eastern Ukraine and Prigozhin’s announcement as a “historic moment”: taking the city, according to media reports, Ukrainian soldiers may have remained in only a few outlying districts. No tactical advantages.
Losses in Bachmut: Biden talks about 100,000 soldiers lost to Russia
Contrary to this estimate, the number of casualties in the Battle of Pakmut, according to Western reports, must have been 100,000 on the Russian side alone. US President Joe Biden spoke over the weekend about the many losses on the Russian side – possibly fallen and wounded soldiers. The Russian military leadership and the Wagner chief, Prigossin, have repeatedly accused secret services of using their fighters in Bagmut as “cannon fodder”.
For Prigozhin, the news seems very positive. According to the news outlet, Wagner was with the boss AFP It announced in a Telegram voice message over the weekend that it would withdraw its forces from “Artemovsk” in May. The obsolete city name was Pakmut between 1924 and 2016 after the Soviet revolutionary. Before handing over to Russian troops, the private army set up “defensive lines”; If the army can’t provide adequate personnel for defense, Wagner will be armed with “thousands of generals,” the billionaire businessman declared.
Pakmut War: Putin Gives Medals to “Best Fighters”
As it became known over the weekend, Russia’s ruler Vladimir Putin has already announced that he intends to distribute “state awards” to the “best fighters” who captured Bagmut. Like a news magazine attention According to the report, the first pictures appeared on social media over the weekend, some of which showed the awards ceremony at Bachmut.
While boss Wagner celebrates the exodus of his people as a victory, critical voices interpret the situation as an acknowledgment of the weakness of Prigozhin’s mercenaries. Instead of launching further attacks from Bagmut into neighboring eastern Ukraine, it is rumored that weakened fighters are returning to already occupied hinterlands. Online time Among the war experts. Many see the war as a sign of Ukraine’s strength rather than a Russian offensive. In addition, the Ukrainian army is already reporting on the first liberated areas on the outskirts of the city, which have long been captured by Russia. (of with afp/dpa)
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