Wagner troops now rely on regular Russian forces near Bakhmut, Ukraine says
Russian military equipment destroyed (Photo:REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra)
Russian private military company Wagner Group is no longer capable of independent offensive operations near Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, having to rely instead on regular Russian forces, Ukraine’s Operational Command East spokesman Serhiy Cherevaty told Ukrainian TV broadcasters on March 29.
The official noted that Moscow has remained fixated on attempting to capture Bakhmut for nine months now.
“Wagner PMC remains the main force of the enemy (in the area), but due to daily losses of under a hundred, and sometimes more than two hundred killed – they lack personnel, even (after recruiting) prisoners,” said Cherevaty.
“We see that the dynamics is forcing them to be reinforced by units of the regular army of the aggressor (country).”
Cherevaty said that Wagner mercenaries are particularly reliant on Russia’s armed forces when it comes to requesting artillery or air support for their attempted advances.
“They used to brag that they are autonomous, but (now) they cannot fully provide for themselves in order to carry out offensives,” he added.
On March 28, Cherevaty said that over the past three days the intensity of clashes near Bakhmut has decreased. This could indicate that Russian forces are regrouping.
A senior military adviser to the UK delegation to the OSCE, Ian Stubbs, said that since May 2022, Russia lost from 20,000-30,000 troops wounded and killed in the battle for Bakhmut.
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