Bakhmut, the Ukrainian city eyed by Wagner head and encircled by Russian troops
Russian oligarch and Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin expressed his desire to see his forces and the Russian army capture the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.
- World News
- 2 min read
Russian oligarch and Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin expressed his desire to see his forces and the Russian Army capture Bakhmut for the Ukrainian city’s rich resources and “underground cities,” the Kyiv Independent reported. His press service channel on Telegram quoted him as saying that he wanted to take control of the city due to its mines and underground regions that can be used to house weaponry and tanks.
"The cherry on the cake is the system of Soledar and Bakhmut mines, which is actually a network of underground cities. It not only (has the ability to hold) a big group of people at a depth of 80-100 meters, but tanks and infantry fighting vehicles can also move about," he said, adding that Bakhmut was also a "serious logistics center."
The Wagner Group is Russia’s most well-known mercenary group established by Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is a former convict and a strong Putin confidant. The group has joined forces with the Russian army in the battle to capture the fortress city of Bakhmut, which lies about 215 kilometers near Kharkiv.
Russia zeroes in on Soledar
According to Newsweek, Russian troops have started advancing into the city as Ukrainian forces begin being surrounded by the mercenaries. On Friday, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), said that sources from Russia and military bloggers had informed that troops of the Wagner Group had broken through in Soledar, a Ukrainian city that is home to the Soledar Salt Mine.
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One unidentified blogger claimed that Russian forces had advanced so much to the point that "the Ukrainian grouping in Bakhmut is under threat of encirclement as a result.” However, the ISW did not corroborate the claim and said that it had “not yet observed visual information” that could back the claims. Meanwhile, Prigozhin took credit for the advancement and said on Telegram that it was "exclusively" his mercenaries who had made the gains, while also noting that the capture of Soledar was "premature.: