NEW YORK (Dagbladet): Prigotsin is the head of the notorious mercenary company Wagner Group. The company is often referred to as a private army and they are active on the Russian side in the area of Eastern Ukraine around Bakhmut.
Sabato says his own mercenaries and the Russian military want to take the city because it has “underground cities” where tanks and personnel can be stored, he reports Reuters.
For five months, Vladimir Putin’s forces have been trying to gain control of Bakhmut.
Explain the goal
This surprised Western military analysts, who reported heavy Russian losses. They also point out that Ukraine has built strong defensive lines near the city, so it seems a Russian victory isn’t worth all the losses.
Criticized by his followers: he wants a tougher Putin
Now, however, Prigotchin explains why he believes a win is important.
– The icing on the cake is the Soledar and Bakhmut mining system, which is actually a network of underground cities. Not only is there space for many people 80 to 100 meters underground, but tanks and other war vehicles can also move, Prigotchin writes on his Telegram channel on Saturday.
He explains why he believes Bakhmut is a “major logistics center” with unique fortifications.
Biden: – Putin is out of breath
Prigotchin also recounts how large quantities of weapons have been stored in mines since World War I.
The mining system includes, among other things, 160 kilometers of tunnels and a gigantic underground room, which in more peaceful times was used, among other things, for football matches and classical music concerts.
Hard battles
Prigotin’s star in Moscow will likely rise if Bakhmut falls. The Wagner group is indeed heavily involved in the fighting there, writes Reuters.
Earlier this week the Biden administration said that Prigotchin he wants control of the salt and chalk mines to profit.
Heavy fighting took place in the area on Saturday, according to Reuters. This despite Putin having ordered a truce on the occasion of the Russian Orthodox Christmas celebration.
– Every house is a fortress
Another Wagner-linked Telegram channel claims that Russia has occupied an important area on the outskirts of Bakhmut. This has not been confirmed by other neighborhoods.
A spokesman for Ukraine’s defense ministry told Reuters on Saturday that the town of Soledar, near Bakhmut, and the salt mine are still under Ukrainian control despite vicious Russian attacks.
Zelensky: – He will try to turn the war around
– Failure
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi describes the unilateral ceasefire ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a failure, writes NTB.
– The world can once again see how false the claims from Russia are, Zelensky said in his daily video address on Saturday night.
His remarks came just before the end of the 36-hour ceasefire announced by Putin and rejected by the West.
– They talked about an alleged ceasefire, but the reality is that Russian attacks have again hit Bakhmut and other Ukrainian positions, added Zelenskyj.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Saturday that the ceasefire had been respected by their side. However, they admitted Russian forces had repulsed several attacks in eastern Ukraine and said dozens of Ukrainian soldiers had been killed.
