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Ukrainian soldiers near Bakhmut: Fierce fighting against Russian troops
Photo: LIBKOS / dpa
In the embattled Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, the situation is coming to a head. The head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner claims to have completely captured the eastern Ukrainian city. "Today, May 20, at noon, Bakhmut was completely captured," Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a video on the online service Telegram. Bakhmut has been fiercely contested for months.
Initially, there was no confirmation from the Ukrainian side or the official Russian side. Rather, Ukrainian troops had recently recorded territorial gains in the region. The Russian Defense Ministry also reported on Saturday only renewed fighting in Bakhmut.
Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said on Saturday that the situation in Bakhmut was critical, but apparently also announced territorial gains. "As of now, our defenders control some industrial and infrastructure facilities in the area and the private sector."
Despite the preponderance of Russian attackers, it was possible to hit the enemy at key points and destroy invaders, it was said again and again. Bakhmut has been largely destroyed by the most costly battle of this war, which has been going on for almost 15 months.
Ukraine does not want to abandon the city in order to prevent Russian troops from breaking through further inland. The city is the main part of the defensive line established after the Russian capture of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk between the cities of Siversk and Bakhmut in the Donetsk region. If the city falls, the road to the major cities of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk would be clear for Russian troops.
ssu/AFP/dpa