In an unexpected development, Wagner has been granted access to the necessary ammunition by the Russian Defense Ministry, enabling the group to sustain its operations in Bakhmut.
Russian private military company Wagner is reportedly engaged in fighting against the Ukrainian army in the city of Bakhmut, located in the Donbass region. Wagner’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, recently announced that his fighters would be forced to withdraw from Bakhmut on May 10 due to an acute shortage of ammunition, unless the Russian Defense Ministry addresses the issue.
Prigozhin stated in a voice message posted on his Telegram channel that Wagner had received a military directive that promised them with adequate ammunition and weapons to continue their operations. He added that they had been given the go-ahead to conduct operations in Bakhmut whenever they deemed it necessary.
According to Wagner, Army General Sergey Surovikin, the deputy commander of Russia’s military operations in Ukraine, is responsible for making all decisions regarding the company’s military operations in coordination with the Ministry of Defense.
Earlier, on July 5, Prigozhin had announced that Wagner was experiencing heavy losses due to a 70% ammunition shortage. He then disclosed that the Akhmat, an elite unit from Russia’s Chechnya, would take over the positions previously held by Wagner.
The battle for the mining city of Bakhmut was intense and prolonged, with reports of fierce fighting and bloodshed lasting for several months. According to Prigozhin, the leader of the opposing forces, his troops had gained control of almost the entire city. In contrast, Ukrainian troops were said to be holding out in a small area located to the west of the city.
The significance of Bakhmut was not lost on either side, as it represented a crucial logistics hub that would allow for further advances by the Russian forces in the Donbass region. The city’s capture would provide a strategic advantage, as it would facilitate the transportation of supplies and personnel to other key areas in the region.
Despite the devastating toll on both sides, the battle for Bakhmut continued to rage, with no end in sight. As the conflict continued, it became increasingly clear that the outcome of the battle would have significant implications for the broader conflict in the region, making it a critical theater of the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
