The threat from the leader of the Wagner Group to leave Bakhmut, whose control has been contested street by street for months, will have had an effect. In a Telegram video, Yevgeny Prigozhin announced this Sunday that he had received a promise from Russian troops to “give us the ammunition and weapons we need to continue operations.” This after accusing Moscow’s military leadership of “lacking professionalism” and being responsible for “tens of thousands” of Russian casualties. On Saturday, he had asked Russia to let him hand over his positions in the city to the troops of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
Prigozhin has been accusing the Russian General Staff for months of not supplying enough ammunition for his paramilitaries, preventing his victory in Bakhmut. This, claims the head of the Wagner Group, would overshadow the Russian military. “The enemy will not change its plans and is doing everything it can to control Bakhmut,” said Oleksandr Syrsky, commander of the Ukrainian armed forces, who visited the eastern front.
The battle for control of Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine, is at the center of the conflict, despite the fact that the city has no real strategic importance. The fighting, which goes on street after street – this Sunday Moscow claimed to have captured two more blocks and Prigozhin said only 2.42 square kilometers remain to be occupied – nevertheless served to secure Russian forces in the region that could otherwise have been redeployed to other areas.
The fighting in Bakhmut gave Kiev time to mount a counter-offensive, which has yet to take place on the ground. However, the number of drone attacks has increased. This Sunday, the Russian military said it carried out a strike with 22 drones over the Black Sea (allegedly destined for Crimea).
In the Zaporizia region, the Russians have been withdrawing civilians since Friday. More than 1,500 people, including 632 minors, have already been displaced, according to Moscow-appointed governor Yevgeny Balitsky. The decision to withdraw from about 18 towns along the frontline comes in response to the alleged intensification of bombing by the Ukrainians. But that would have caused panic in the region, which is 70% under Russian control. According to the Ukrainian mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, there were queues on the roads for five hours.
The situation is of concern to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) due to its proximity to the Zaporizia plant. “The situation in the area near the Zaporizh Nuclear Power Plant is becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous”said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi. “I am deeply concerned about nuclear safety and the real risks facing the plant. We must act now to avoid the threat of a serious nuclear accident and its consequences for the population and the environment,” he added in a statement.
“Don’t Intimidate”
Nationalist writer Zakhar Prilepin, who was injured in the explosion of his car in an attack that Moscow attributed to Ukrainians, said in the hospital’s first message on Sunday that he will not be “intimidated”. “I say to the demons, you will not intimidate anyone. God exists. We will win”, he said, also paying tribute to his friend and assistant, Alexander Shubin, who was killed in the attack.
Prilepin thanked everyone for their support, confirmed he was driving and explained that two bombs were on their way, but only one had detonated. “Thank you to everyone who prayed as it must have been impossible to survive such an explosion,” he said in the message. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Vice President of the Security Council, assured that the attack will not go unpunished.
Russia trains Victory Day parade
Rehearsals for tomorrow’s military parade, marking the Soviet Union’s Victory Day over the Nazis in 1945, continued this Sunday in Moscow’s Red Square. This year’s nationalist parade is taking place with heightened security, following a series of drone strikes – including against the Kremlin itself – and explosions that derailed freight trains. Several regions along the border with Ukraine chose to cancel their parades for fear of becoming a target.
Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his speech that the army in Ukraine fought “so that there is no place in the world for murderers and Nazis”, and promised that “victory will be ours, as in 1945”. This year’s parade is expected to be even smaller than 2022’s. And there won’t be a March of the Immortal Regiment, in which people used photos of their ancestors who died in World War II, for alleged fears that they’ll use photos of would use kill soldiers in Ukraine.
Source: DN
