Russia, on Friday (May 12) acknowledged that some of its forces had fallen back from the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut following a new Ukrainian offensive. Russia-installed officials in the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk said that missiles fired by Kyiv hit two disused factories and several houses in the main city. It also injured six children and a Russian parliamentarian, said Leonid Pasechnik, head of the region.
Russia acknowledges retreat in parts of Bakhmut
Moscow had previously insisted it had repelled an attack along the frontlines and denied Ukraine had made any breakthroughs there, adding on Friday that it had repelled Kyiv’s forces along more than 95 kilometres.
Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov later said that Ukraine had launched an assault north of Bakhmut with more than 1,000 troops and up to 40 tanks, which if confirmed, would mark the biggest counteroffensive by Kyiv since November.
According to Konashenkov, Russian troops repelled 26 attacks but fell back to regroup in more favourable positions near the Berkhivka reservoir northwest of Bakhmut.
This comes as the head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who has been leading Moscow’s attack in Bakhmut, accused the Russian army of “fleeing” from around the eastern Ukraine city.
Addressing the defence ministry spokesman’s remarks, Prigozhin said, “What Konashenkov described, unfortunately, is called ‘a rout’ and not a regrouping,” as quoted by Reuters. He has also claimed that the north and south flanks, guarded by regular Russian troops, were crumbling; which Moscow has since denied.
Prigozhin also accused Russia’s leadership of downplaying the gravity of the situation and that “the flanks are failing, the front is collapsing”. He added, “For this reason, we must stop lying immediately,” said the Wagner chief in a video statement released on social media.
Ukrainian missiles hit parts of Luhansk: Russia-installed officials
According to the Russian-installed official, Pasechnik, head of the region annexed by Russia last year, six children had been injured. Russian officials in the region also said a member of the State Duma (lower house of Russia’s parliament), Viktor Volodatsky, was also injured.
In a post on Telegram, authorities in Luhansk said two Ukrainian-made “grom” tactical missiles have damaged or destroyed administrative buildings at a packaging plant and a factory producing cleaning materials, in the main city which is about 100 kilometres behind the frontlines.
Ukraine claims parts of Bakhmut
Kyiv, on Friday, said that it had retaken swathes of ground near the frontline Ukrainian city of Bakhmut and has witnessed some of the bloodiest battles amid the ongoing conflict. “In three days of counter-offensive activity, the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Bakhmut sector have liberated 17.3 sq. km (6.6 sq. miles) of territory,” said Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesman for the “east” group of Ukrainian forces, as quoted by Reuters.
In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russians were “already internally ready for defeat. They have already lost this war in their minds”. So far, both sides have reported massive gains for Ukraine in the six months, however, Kyiv is yet to confirm if the long-planned counteroffensive has officially begun.
In an interview, earlier this week, Zelensky said Kyiv needed more time for equipment to arrive for the offensive while Prigozhin called that deceptive and has previously claimed that the Ukrainian offensive has already begun.
(With inputs from agencies)
Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.
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