War in Ukraine. in the video, the head of Wagner explains the failure of the Russian attack in Bakhmut.

“The question everyone is asking is when are you going to pick it up? Lucky?“The head of Wagner private mercenary company Yevgeny Prigogine begins. interview with RIA Novosti news agency. According to him, his fighters will attack every house.Artyomovsk (Russian title of Bakhmut’s editor’s note)”, because “fortresseswhich prevent military advance.

“This morning we took home and broke through the Ukrainian defense. And behind this house there is still a new defense, and not just one“, he adds. “How many such defense lines are there in Artyomovsk? If we say 500, we probably won’t be wrong– he assures.

Wagner’s mercenaries complain to their boss about a “lack of vehicles, BMP-3 (an infantry fighting vehicle carrying ten soldiers, editor’s note) and 100mm shells for faster forward movements: Artyomovsk“. The Russian army, and especially the group of Wagner mercenaries, has been unsuccessfully trying to capture the city since May 17. British intelligence its short January 3 believed that Wagner and the Russian army hadIn mid-December, they increased the frequency of their infantry attacks around the town of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, but they were poorly supported.“.

Moreover, the Ukrainian army has “made significant improvements“protect the territory”in the last ten days“. “Russia is unlikely to make a significant breakthrough near Bakhmut in the coming weeks.concluded the Ministry of Defense of Great Britain.

Limited strategic interest

The almost completely destroyed city, however, is not of particular strategic interest. “This is a marketing ploy for the Kremlin, which wants to allow itself a victory. Possession of Bakhmut, devastated by months of shelling, will not bring anything decisive, as the Russians will face the heights and new Ukrainian defense lines in the direction of Kramatorsk.says Cedric Mas.

Also, progress is proving difficult. This refers to an equal number of fighters on both sides, despite the arrival of reinforcements from Kherson after its abandonment, but also effective reinforcements. “The lines in Donbas have been strengthened since 2015, which explains the rather slow progress in this area.Thibault Fouillet notes. The Russians are also facing a tactical blockade.it is a logic where fire surpasses motion“, he is abundant. “The defense is far superior to the offense and the shooting is very effective“, Cedric Mass continues. After the bombardment, the attacker tried to move forward, but ran into the enemy, whose artillery stopped his advance.

These battles, costly to human life, also allow both camps to “to stare in astonishment» enemy troops at a specific point. Thus, Russian troops from Kherson cannot be used for another attack. The opposite Ukrainians cannot transfer their soldiers to another front or calm them down. For several weeks now, several pro-Russian accounts have been openly worried about Ukrainian breakthroughs around Zaporozhye towards Melitopol. And Crimea.