Yevgeny Prigozhin has long since become the mouthpiece of the invaders in the Ukraine war. The founder of the Wagner Group also showed his influence when he unexpectedly announced the imminent withdrawal of his subjects from Bakhmut.
Ukrainian military leadership apparently wanted to hold the strategically important city in the Donetsk region with all its might and did not order a retreat despite immense losses. British intelligence reported that Russia had increased its forces in the area. The Ministry of Defense, which regularly publishes its assessment of the war, stated: "In the past four days, Russia has most likely deployed several battalions to reinforce the BakhMut front"