Pro-Russian separatists announce the capture of a village near Bakhmout
Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region have announced the capture of a village near Bakhmout, one of the hottest spots on the front, which Moscow’s forces have been seeking to conquer for ever since. several months.
The locality of Bakhmoutske, in the Donetsk region, “was liberated by the Russian armed forces”, say the separatists of this region annexed by Russia. The information could not be verified.
Bakhmoutske is located northeast of Bakhmout, a city once known for its vineyards and salt mines, which had around 70,000 inhabitants before the start of the Russian offensive in February 2022. Russian forces, led in particular by mercenaries of the Wagner Group, have been seeking to take Bakhmout for months, but they face fierce resistance from the Ukrainians. The two camps notably engaged in a ferocious artillery duel, which reduced part of the city to ruins.
Bakhmoutske is located right next to Soledar, which is also the scene of heavy fighting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky estimated on Sunday evening that the area between these two cities was “one of the bloodiest places on the front”. Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner group, claimed that the Soledar assault was “exclusively” led by his organization.