“Ukrainian Military Drives Russian Infantry Troops from Bakhmut | CNBC Indonesia News”

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Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – A Ukrainian military unit says it has driven Russian infantry troops from an area near Bakhmut.

The Russian mercenary boss of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who has repeatedly accused Moscow’s regular armed forces of failing to support his private troops leading the fighting in Bakhmut, said the Russian brigade had abandoned its position.

“Our soldiers fled. The 72nd Brigade went on a rampage of three square kilometers this morning, in which I lost around 500 men,” Prigozhin said, quoted ReutersWednesday (10/5/2023).

In a statement, Ukraine’s Third Independent Assault Brigade confirmed the news.

“Prigozhin’s reports about the Russian 72nd Independent Brigade’s flight from near Bakhmut and the ‘500 bodies’ of Russians left behind are true,” the statement said.

“The Third Assault Brigade is grateful for the publicity about our success on the front lines.”

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian military unit formed from the Ukrainian nationalist Azov Battalion, reposted a video of Azov co-founder Andriy Biletsky saying his troops had defeated the Russian brigade.

“In fact, the 6th and 7th squadrons of this brigade were almost completely destroyed, the intelligence of the brigade was destroyed, a large number of combat vehicles were destroyed, a large number of prisoners were taken,” he said.

“The attack was carried out in an area 3 km wide and 2.6 km deep, and this whole area was completely liberated from the occupying Russian forces,” he added.

The Ukrainian General Staff, which usually hides such details from its regular reports, did not provide specifics about the fighting in the area. They only say that the Russians failed to carry out the offensive on the city of Bakhmut.

On the other hand, Moscow has yet to comment on reports from either side that the 72nd Independent Brigade has abandoned its positions in the southwestern outskirts of Bakhmut.

The Russian defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment in this regard and the information could not be independently confirmed.

A Russian brigade usually consists of several thousand troops. The eastern Ukrainian city has been the main target of Moscow’s massive winter offensive and the site of Europe’s bloodiest ground fighting since World War 2.

(luc/luc)