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A Ukrainian armored personnel carrier (APC) drives along a road in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, on March 3, 2023. (Photo by ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images)
5 posts
29 minutes ago
Ukrainian deputy commander: "Every hour in Bakhmut is like hell", but Ukraine has stabilized the front line
By Maria Kostenko
The front line in Bakhmut has been stabilized in recent days by Ukrainian troops despite continuous heavy attacks by Russian armed forces, a deputy commander of the Svoboda battalion of the Ukrainian National Guard said on Saturday.
According to Volodymyr Nazarenko, Russian forces have not crossed the Bakhmutka River and the city center remains under the control of Ukrainian forces.
“Every hour in Bakhmut is like hell.
The enemy had hits in the north, northwest of Bakhmut a week ago.
Ukrainian soldiers are fighting back.
In recent days, the front line has stabilized thanks to our hard work and efforts," Nazarenko told Ukrainian broadcaster Kyiv24.
Southern Bakhmut, “in the direction of Ivanivske, the Kostiantynivka-Bakhmut highway is under the control of Ukrainian forces.
They are doing it with a huge effort,” he said.
Russian forces are short of ammunition and are resorting to "chaotic bombing" and attempting to shell supply lines.
However, the Russian forces still have more ammunition than the Ukrainian ones, he added.
42 mins ago
Bakhmut is still controlled by Ukraine and there has been no "mass withdrawal", says military spokesman
By Maria Kostenko
Ukrainian soldiers drive towards frontline positions near Bakhmut, Ukraine, on Saturday, March 4.
(Evgeniy Maloletka/AP)
Ukrainian soldiers drive towards frontline positions near Bakhmut, Ukraine, on Saturday, March 4. (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP)
Russia has not taken control of the eastern city of Bakhmut, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Armed Forces told CNN on Saturday.
"The fighting in Bakhmut is more on the outskirts, with the city controlled by the Ukrainian defense forces: the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Border Guard and the National Guard," according to Serhiy Cherevatyi, a spokesman for the eastern grouping of the armed forces. .
Ukrainian troops are rotating positions in Bakhmut in planned and controlled rotations, he said in response to reports of the withdrawal of some units.
"There is also no massive withdrawal of Ukrainian troops," he said.
So far on Saturday, he said there had been fighting around Bakhmut, in the villages of Vasiukivka and Dubovo-Vasylivka to the north of the city, and in the villages of Ivanivske and Bohdanivka to the west.
“There were 21 enemy attacks with the use of various artillery systems and MLRS near Bakhmut alone, and 9 combat engagements.
In total, there were 131 attacks and 38 combat engagements on this front,” Cherevatyi said.
More than 150 Russian soldiers were killed and 239 wounded, with three taken prisoner, it added.
49 mins ago
Why is Bakhmut important to Putin if his strategic value is limited?
By Rob Picheta
A Ukrainian serviceman patrols an empty street in Bakhmut, Ukraine, on February 21.
(Alex Babenko/Reuters)
Russian forces are getting closer to capturing the town of Bakhmut, after weeks of bloody fighting have slowly worn down a determined Ukrainian resistance.
Here's what to know about the battle for Bakhmut and why the city is important to Russia.
Why is Bakhmut in the crosshairs?
Bakhmut is not the kind of city Moscow expected to fight for in the second year of its invasion: it is a relatively small town east of Donetsk, which has remained out of reach of the slow-moving Russian land campaign for many months.
Russian forces have been slowly advancing around the city, but Ukrainian forces have yet to withdraw, creating a stalemate reminiscent of protracted battles for other eastern cities such as Severodonetsk during the last year.
The capture of Bakhmut would represent some military progress for Vladimir Putin, and would give his forces the opportunity to launch air strikes against more urban areas further west.
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1 hour ago
An oligarch says Russia could run out of money by 2024
By Olesya Dmitracova
Oleg Deripaska attends the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in St. Petersburg, Russia, on June 17.
(Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)
Russia could run out of money next year and needs foreign investment, Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska has said openly.
"There will be no money next year, we need foreign investors," he told an economic conference in Siberia on Thursday, according to comments reported by TASS, a Russian state news agency.
The comments from the billionaire, who called for an end to Moscow's war in Ukraine in the early days of the conflict last year, contrast with a more optimistic assessment of Russia's economic fortunes made by President Vladimir Putin last week.
Putin praised the resilience of the country's economy in the face of unprecedented Western sanctions imposed last year.
Russia's economic output contracted 2.1% last year, according to a preliminary government estimate.
The contraction was more limited than many economists initially predicted.
But the cracks are beginning to show: Russia is cutting its oil production this month, and Western sanctions could increase further.
Ultimately, Russia's economic prospects depend on what happens in Ukraine.
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1 hour ago
Russia deploys its most experienced units to Bakhmut amid heavy fighting "in and around" the city, according to Ukraine
By Olga Voitovych, Vasco Cotovio
The Ukrainian army said that "heavy fighting is taking place in and around the city" of Bakhmut in the east of the country, where Russian forces have deployed their most experienced units.
"The Russian occupiers have sent the most trained units of PMC Wagner and other regular units of the Russian army to capture the city. Heavy fighting is taking place in and around the city," the Ukrainian Army Ground Forces said in a post on which highlighted the visit to the front line of the commander of the Eastern Group of Forces, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi.
"In Bakhmut, the commander listened to the reports of the commanders on the situation in his subordinate units, and was briefed on the problematic issues of improving the defense capabilities of our units on the front line," the post said.
According to the Ukrainian military, Russia continues to press in the hope of "capturing Bakhmut and continues to build up forces to occupy the city."
This same Friday, CNN reported that Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner Russian mercenary group, claimed that Bakhmut was "surrounded" and asked President Volodymyr Zelensky to order his forces to withdraw.
Ukraine rejected Prigozhin's statements, calling them a "disinformation campaign."
