A year and a day after the outbreak of war in Ukraine, Russian forces are desperately trying to encircle Bakhmout.
With the support of the Wagner group deployed in the front line, they managed to cut several important routes for the supply of Ukrainian troops.
For their part, the Russian mercenaries regularly claim meager catches.
Thus on Friday they claimed that of Berkhivka, north of Bakhmout;
last week, that of Paraskoviïvka.
This Saturday, they claim to have taken a new location north of the city.
At the same time in India, the G20 states gathered for a finance summit failed to agree on a joint communiqué.
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Wagner's new claim on the Bakhmout front
The boss of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, Evguéni Prigojine, claimed responsibility on Saturday for the capture by his men of the village of Yaguidné, located on the northern outskirts of Bakhmout.
The capture of this locality contains more of the Russian vice around Bakhmout, the village being located less than two kilometers from the center of this fortress city.
"
At 7 p.m. on February 25, Wagner's assault units took full control of the village of Yagidné, north of Bakhmout
," Evgeny Prigojine was quoted by his press service as saying on Telegram.
A photograph accompanying the statement shows armed and masked men with a Wagner flag in front of the entrance sign to the village of Yaguidné.
According to Wagner's press service, quoted by the TASS agency, Ukrainian troops blew up a dam near Bakhmout to slow the advance of Russian forces.
"
Indeed, the Ukrainian armed forces blew up the dam
" on Lake Pivnivchny, located just west of Bakhmout, the press service said.
These assertions were immediately unverifiable from an independent source.
Rallies in French cities in support of Ukraine
Several hundred people gathered on Saturday in Paris as well as in several major cities, the day after demonstrations in France and in Europe to mark the first anniversary of the invasion of the country by Russia.
On the Place de la République in Paris, hundreds of participants sang the Ukrainian anthem in the early afternoon.
At the head of the procession, Ukrainian children, dressed in traditional dress.
At the head of the Parisian procession, Ukrainian children were dressed in traditional attire.
EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP
In Montpellier, a hundred people responded to the call of the SOS Montpellier Ukraine association, while the Hérault welcomed some 2,000 Ukrainians who had fled their country.
“
The Russians of Montpellier with Ukraine
”, “
Ukraine chooses freedom
”, “
Stop War
”, could be read on the signs.
In Bordeaux and Rennes too, rallies were organized on Saturday.
The day before, thousands of people had gathered in several major cities on the continent to protest against the Russian escape.
In France, a gathering of a few hundred people took place on the Place de la République in Paris, as well as in Lille or Marseille for example.
G20 Finance fails to agree statement on Ukraine
G20 finance ministers and central bankers ended their meetings in India on Saturday without reaching a joint statement, due to differences with China over the war in Ukraine.
Meeting since Friday in Bangalore, the technological capital of India, the G20 Finance was trying to agree on solutions to the challenges posed by the global economy, in a context of war in Ukraine and rising inflation.
India, which holds the presidency of the G20, published Saturday at the end of the meetings a “
summary
” of the discussions, but no joint press release.
“
Most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine
” with “
different assessments of the situation and sanctions
,” the document said.
An annotation specifies that within the G20, only China and Russia did not approve two paragraphs about Ukraine.
Last year, during previous meetings of the G20 Finances, under the Indonesian presidency, no joint press release had been drafted either.
Russia accused the West of having "
destabilized
" the summit.
"
We regret that the activities of the G20 continue to be destabilized by the collective West and used in an anti-Russian and purely confrontational manner
," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
