Ukraine's counteroffensive is foreseeable. The first successes have been achieved in Bakhmut. However, Prigozhin and the Russian ministry disagree on this.
Munich – Kyiv is making progress in the battle for Bakhmut in the Ukraine war. But whether the Ukrainians really attacked Russian positions – Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin sows doubts about this. Russia itself is already trying to downplay Ukraine's successes. However, both perceptions differ about the success of Ukraine's advances.
Ukraine advances in Bakhmut – Ministry of Defense speaks of partial conquest
According to information from Kyiv, Ukrainian forces continued their counterattacks around Bakhmut on May 14, according to an analysis by the Institute Study of War (ISW). Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar reported that Ukrainian forces had captured over ten Russian positions on the northern and southern outskirts of Bakhmut during the day. Russian military bloggers also claimed that Ukrainian troops attacked in the direction of Berkhovka, Klishchiivka and Kurdiumivka.
In addition, Kiev took new, unspecified positions near the settlements and additionally advanced from the direction of Bohdanivka in the direction of Yahidne. The spokesman for the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel Serhiy Cherevaty, stressed on May 14 that Ukraine's main goal in Bakhmut is the destruction of Russian areas of concentration and the encirclement of the city. According to Cherevaty, the Ukrainians have recently advanced up to 300 m in some areas. Malyar reported that Ukrainian forces were advancing in two directions in the suburbs of Bakhmut. The ISW could not confirm the formation of new Ukrainian positions around Bakhmut.
Prigozhin has publicly clashed with the Russian military leadership. The mercenary chief complained several times about what he considered to be a lack of support from the Russian Ministry of Defense. © Uncredited/PRIGOZHIN PRESS SERVICE/AP/dpa
Chaos over statements on counteroffensive – Russia and Prigozhin at odds
Meanwhile, Yevgeny Prigozhin, financier of the Wagner Group, tells a different version. According to Priogshin, on the night of May 13-14, the Ukrainian Armed Forces did not carry out any attacks at all. Unlike Prigozhin, the Russian Defense Ministry did not completely deny Ukraine's successes. Instead, the Kremlin apparently tried to distract from recent progress in Bakhmut.
It praised Russia's defensive efforts against the Ukrainian attacks. It also singled out a few specific brigades and claimed that Russian forces had repelled all Ukrainian counterattacks. The commander of the 4th Brigade, Colonel Vyacheslav Makarov and another colonel were killed in their respective defense efforts.
Denial of counteroffensive – Russia: "We see activation along the entire line of contact"
The Russian-installed head of the "Donetsk People's Republic", Denis Pushilin, also tried to downplay Ukraine's successes on Monday (15 May): "We see an activation along the entire line of contact, but it is not yet the counteroffensive that has been talked about so much. We see that the enemy is trying to reconnoiter our positions by conducting reconnaissance through skirmishes in certain areas," he said during a Rossiya-24 television broadcast.
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The Ukrainian side adheres to its version, despite Kremlin statements. The operation continues, said the commander of the ground forces, Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskji. "The advance of our troops towards Bakhmut is the first successful offensive operation to defend the city," he explains on the Telegram channel of the Ukrainian military. "The past few days have shown that even in such extremely difficult conditions, we can advance and destroy the enemy." The mission to defend Bakhmut continues. All the necessary decisions for the defense had been made. (cgsc)
Russia is said to have lost up to four planes in the border area with Ukraine over the weekend. The investigation into the causes is fueled by Prigozhin.
