A former U.S. military officer predicted Russia's Wagner Group would face disaster in Ukraine next week, Newsweek reported.
This American magazine attributed – in a report – to General Mark Hartling to say that Ukrainian fighters are besieging Wagner forces in Bachmut, despite Yevgeny Prigozhin, the group's commander, declaring last Saturday victory in the city and his forces taking full control of it.
Ukraine's rejection of Prigozhin's declaration of victory, insisting that heavy fighting continues in Bachmut and that its forces still control key aspects of it.
Prigozhin warned
Hartling, who served as commander-in-chief of the U.S. Army in Europe and the Seventh Army, was quoted by Newsweek as warning Prigozhin on Sunday and quoted Oleksandr Sersky, commander of Ukraine's ground forces, as saying his country's forces were approaching a "targeted encirclement" of Pakhmut.
Hartling wrote on Twitter: "As many of us have said many times, Prigogin is not a professional soldier nor is his troops. Congratulations, Yevgeny, you have placed the Wagner flag in the middle of Bachmut. You're trapped."
He added that the latest developments come "5 months" after Prigozhin's forces began fighting in Pakhmut, predicting that this will continue over the next week as Ukraine and Wagner continue the battle for control of the city.
Not tactically important
Newsweek reported yesterday of the Washington-based Center for War Research that the parts of Bachmut controlled by Wagner were "not tactically or operationally important" and that its analysts had not seen specific geographic footage to support Wagner's claim to victory.
Pakhmut has emerged as one of the most intense fighting sites amid the Russian-Ukrainian war, with the United States estimating earlier this month that 20,5 Russian soldiers were killed in the city over a <>-month period.