Ukrainian soldiers are in a fierce battle with Russian mercenary group ‘Wagner’ in eastern Ukraine. After weeks of fighting around the city, the Ukrainian military is reporting that Russian forces have started sending soldiers in mass human waves in order to break through defenses and take the city. Despite desperate conditions, and constant fighting, Ukraine is determined to hold the line at any cost, and after the recent loss of Soledar just north of Bakhmut, the situation continues to get more and more desperate for the city’s defenders as only one route now leads into the besieged city.
NEWS ROLLUP: Battle for Bakhmut Continues in Ukraine
By News Rollup; February 1, 2023
On February 1st, 2023, the Ukrainian government reported that their troops had been engaged in horrific battles against the Russian mercenary group known as the Wagner Group, in the city of Bakhmut, in the eastern region of Donbas.
Bakhmut has been the focal point of the Russian military for months, as Speratist and Russian forces try to encircle the city and win a victory after their failure to stop Ukrainian advances in previous months.
The Wagner Group, a private military company with close ties with the Kremlin and led by a close ally of President Putin, has been supporting separatist rebels in the region and Russian military formations throughout the war. Previously, the group has built a bloody reputation in several conflicts around the world, including in Syria and Africa.
Most recent reports from the Ukrainian military give light on the situation in Bakhmut and their battle with the Wagner group. Conditions for soldiers defending the city would be considered unlivable, with electricity, running water, and basic comforts of life barren from the shell-shocked city. However, the military claims that the Wagner group has been sending their soldiers in mass human waves in an attempt to break through defenses and take the city. So far, Wagner’s efforts have failed to bear fruit, with Ukrainians claiming they have been inflicting mass casualties on advancing Russian soldiers.
This latest development in Bakhmut has hardened Ukraine’s resolve to seek support from the West if they hope to achieve a military victory. The Russian military continues to bring in convict soldiers and foreign nationals and seek the support of America’s rivals, such as Iran and China. This has mounted pressure on Kiev to find friends faster than their enemies to support their soldiers throughout the front, especially in embattled Bakhmut.
The situation in Donbas remains tense, and Ukraine is determined to hold its territory at all costs, especially after its recent withdrawal from nearby Soledar, leaving only one logistical route into Bakhmut.