Ukraine pulls back as Russia launches’re-energised’ Bakhmut attack, UK claims. Britain reported Friday that Russian artillery shelling has forced Ukrainian soldiers to retreat from some positions near Bakhmut.
“Russia has re-energised its assault on the Donetsk Oblast town of Bakhmut as forces of the Russian MoD and Wagner Group have improved co-operation,” it claimed. Wagner Group is Russia’s biggest mercenary army.
“Ukrainian forces face significant resupply issues but have made orderly withdrawals from the positions they have been forced to concede,” Britain’s military said in a daily intelligence update. Wagner led the Russian side in the months-long battle, the deadliest of the war for troops on both sides, but the mercenary group’s leader had complained of poor support from the regular military.
Wagner infantry was pushing in Bakhmut’s center while Russian paratroopers relieved them in flank assaults.
Russia’s winter onslaught has targeted Bakhmut, which had 70,000 people before the conflict. Still, it has made little progress despite intense infantry ground warfare not seen in Europe since World Conflict Two.
Russia’s first major success in eight months would be taking the city. Moscow claims it would enable the capture of more Donbas area, a crucial military goal.
Ukraine, preparing for its counteroffensive, seemed poised to evacuate Bakhmut at the end of February but said in March that it would fight there, stating Russia was taking more fatalities trying to storm it.
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