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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Russian forces in retreat near Bakhmut, Ukraine and Wagner say |
| 2023-05-19 |
| [Reuters] The Ukrainian military and Russia's Wagner private army both reported further Russian retreats around the city of Bakhmut on Thursday, as Kyiv pressed on with its biggest advance for six months ahead of a planned counteroffensive. Ukrainian troops near the front line said Russia was bombarding access roads to slow the Ukrainian assault, which has shifted momentum after months of slow Russian gains in Europe's deadliest ground combat since World War Two. "Now, for the most part, as we have started to advance, they are shelling all the routes to front positions, so our armoured vehicles can't deliver more infantry, ammunition and other things," said Petro Podaru, commander of a Ukrainian artillery unit. Ukraine's military said troops had advanced in places by more than a mile. Its forces had been on the defensive for half a year, weathering a huge offensive by Moscow that saw only slow gains. "Despite the fact that our units do not have an advantage in equipment ... and personnel, they have continued to advance on the flanks, and covered a distance of 150 to 1,700 metres (1.1 miles)," military spokesperson Serhiy Cherevatyi said in televised comments. Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin says his forces inside Bakhmut itself are still advancing, on the cusp of pushing Ukrainian troops out of their last foothold in the built-up area on the city's western outskirts. But he accuses commanders of Russia's regular forces of abandoning ground north and south of the city, raising the risk of troops inside being encircled. "Unfortunately, units of the Russian Defence Ministry have withdrawn up to 570 metres (1,880 feet) to the north of Bakhmut, exposing our flanks," Prigozhin said in his latest voice message on Thursday. Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said Russia had pushed reserves into Bakhmut and battles had raged in its northern and southern suburbs all day. But the Russians had been repelled and her forces had advanced, by her estimate by about a kilometre in some areas. |
| Posted by:Enver Slager8035 |
| #2 Worthwhile tradeoff. The deepest Ukr penetration as of yesterday is more than 4km in the direction of Klishiivka. Even if the Russians take all of Bakhmut, Wagner, the Russians only offensive force, is nearly destroyed. Any survivors in Bakhmut will be pounded from 3 sides. Meanwhile, the Ukrainians have retaken in a week an area larger than Bakhmut city and have drawn Russian reserves to Bakhmut that could have been used to plug holes in the coming offensive. In addition, they have found the Russians' willingness to fight suspect. |
| Posted by: Enver Slager8035 2023-05-19 15:05 |
| #1 Meanwhile being reported in non-Western Media, the recent UKR offensive left an areas of theirs exposed which the Russians exploited - one of the last UKR strongholds in Bakhmut, the Citadel, has fallen. Leaving Ivanjske as the last UKR enclave in the area. May 20, 2023 (they are a day ahead of us over there): Bakhmut Citadel area has fallen to the Russians |
| Posted by: mossomo 2023-05-19 13:15 |