REPORT

Ukraine: on the front, Kiev forces doubt a possible Russian withdrawal from Bakhmut

Audio 01:13

Roman, known as "the Georgian", fights Russian forces in Donbass. © Boris Vichith/RFI

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2 min

New accusations from the head of the Wagner militia: the Russian General Staff is responsible for tens of thousands of Russian killed and wounded in Ukraine, according to Yevgeny Prigozhin. The paramilitary group threatens to withdraw from Bakhmut on 10 May if it does not obtain enough ammunition. But in Ukraine, in combat zones, these statements do not seem to convince.

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With our special envoys in Donbass, Anastasia Becchio and Boris Vichith

When his battalion suffered heavy losses, Roman, known as "the Georgian", was transferred to a slightly less exposed position. But the soldier keeps in touch with the men who continue to fight there. The Russians, he says, don't give the impression of running out of ammunition:

« That's all rubbish. They shell all the time. It is possible that they have reduced the quantities of ammunition a little, but I cannot say that the bombing has diminished in intensity. They keep typing harder. Our position was bombed up to 500 times a day. Now it's about half as much, but I think it's because they sent an army of professionals there, and now they're doing more targeted shots. »

Roman also does not believe the statements of Wagner's boss about a withdrawal of his men on May 10: "It's more like nonsense and stories. How can they opt out? There are still going to be losses. They think we're going to let them go like that, without shooting them? It's a real butchery. There, there is no law, there is no humanity, it is just a butchery. The only rule is to try to survive.

Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar claims that the Ukrainian armed forces destroyed a stockpile of Wagner Group weapons in Bakhmut.

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