Head of Russia's Wagner paramilitary group claims Ukraine ‘tearing flanks’ in Bakhmut

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - The head of the Russian Wagner paramilitary group claimed on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces are “tearing the flanks” in the city of Bakhmut in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine.

In a video on his Telegram channel, Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed the Ukrainian Armed Forces are regrouping in the Zaporizhzhia region and that they will launch a counteroffensive in the “near future.”

“They are absolutely clear: the counteroffensive will be on the ground, and not on TV," Prigozhin said.

Prigozhin further said that Wagner Group forces will not leave Bakhmut for several more days despite receiving only 10% of shells they had requested from the Russian Armed Forces.

“We were simply blatantly deceived," Prigozhin added.

Prigozhin said on Sunday that he was "promised" more ammunition and weapons from the Russian Defense Ministry and “as much as they need” to continue its fight against Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut.

Russian forces have been trying for months to capture Bakhmut, a transport and logistics hub in Ukraine's Donetsk region, part of the largely Russian-speaking industrialized Donbas region.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​Russia last year, amid its now 14-month-old war on Ukraine, claimed to have annexed the area, in a declaration rejected by the EU, the US, Türkiye, and others.