Wagner sees Bakhmut catching up to April
The capture of Bakhmut would give Russia a stepping stone to advance on two large cities, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, further west to Donetsk. But Ukraine and its allies say recapturing Bakhmut would be a Pyrrhic victory given the previous months and what they claim has been heavy loss of life during waves of Russian attacks.
In an interview with a pro-war military blogger, Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin predicted that Bakhmut would fall in the next month or April, depending on how many men Ukraine throws into the fighting and how many of its men are killed. Well supplied.
“Because there are a huge number of problems that need to be solved. Naturally it will also depend on whether we continue to bleed,” he said, referring to the end of prisoner recruitment.
As Ukraine increasingly burns through weapons and struggles to muster heavy firepower, including tanks and fighter jets, NATO members are ramping up production and promised more during meetings in Brussels this week.
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s forces have received large amounts of aid, particularly from the United States, which has given more than $27.4 billion since the conflict began.
Senior US officials have advised Ukraine to hold off on retaliatory strikes until the latest US arms supplies and training are provided.