“Russian Troops Advance in Bakhmut Despite VSU Strikes: Report by Institute for the Study of War (ISW)”

Russian troops continue to advance in Bakhmut. Geolocation footage shows that the occupiers have advanced even further into the western part of the city. This is reported in a new report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Analysts note that the head of PMC “Wagner” Yevgeny Prigozhin stated that the VSU struck with HIMARS on the site near Bakhmut where “Wagner” is holding captive Ukrainians, but ISW has not seen visual confirmation of this claim.

Analysts also point out that Prigozhin announced that his mercenaries would not be withdrawn from Bakhmut until May 10, as he had previously said, even though the Russian Ministry of Defense had not provided Wagner with additional shells. He stated that his mercenaries will continue to fight in Bakhmut and will continue to demand ammunition from the Russian Ministry of Defense.

ISW believes that Prigozhin’s failure to follow through on his threat to withdraw from Bakhmut shows that he is aware of his dependence on the Russian Ministry of Defense.

“Prigozhin tried to blackmail the Russian Ministry of Defense to change the priorities of the Bakhmut offensive so that he could claim victory in the city himself,” the analysts explain.

The institute notes that according to some reports, the Wagnerites unsuccessfully tried to break through to Khromovo and actively block the remaining Ukrainian land logistics lines to Bakhmut.

Heavy fighting continues in the city. The Russian occupiers have thrown all their forces into the capture of Bakhmut, but the Ukrainian military continues to hold the defense.