Ukrainian forces have ousted Russian troops from some positions in Bakhmut amid fierce battles, says a top general.
Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Ukrainian commander of ground forces, made the claim as the White House estimated that more than 20,000 Russian fighters have been killed in Ukraine since December as Vladimir Putin seeks to seize the eastern mining town.
“The situation (in Bakhmut) is quite difficult,” Col Gen Syrskyi said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.
“At the same time, in certain parts of the city, the enemy was counterattacked by our units and left some positions” in recent days, he said.
The 10-month-long battle for the town has taken on a symbolic importance for both sides. It has become the fulcrum of a war that has seen little shift in front lines since late 2022, leaving both sides looking for a breakthrough.
The Institute for The Study of War said Russian soldiers were still making gains in some parts of Bakhmut but that their advances were reported to have slowed.
“Russian forces have continued to make gains in Bakhmut as of May 1; however, Ukrainian officials indicated that Wagner Group fighters and other Russian forces are struggling to maintain their pace of offensive operations in Bakhmut,” it tweeted.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of Putin’s Wagner group “private army”, said on Telegram that his fighters needed some 300 tonnes of artillery shells a day for the assault on Bakhmut, but were receiving only a third of that amount.
“Three hundred tonnes a day is 10 cargo containers - not a lot at all,” said Prigozhin, who has often clashed with Russia’s defence establishment over its conduct of the war in Ukraine.
In a separate posting on Monday evening, Prigozhin said his troops had advanced some 120 metres (400 feet) into Bakhmut at the loss of 86 of his fighters.
Col Gen Syrskyi said that new Russian units are being “constantly thrown into battle for Bakhmut” despite taking heavy losses, adding: “But the enemy is unable to take control of the (town).”
Russian forces have steadily made incremental gains in Bakhmut, but Ukraine said on Sunday that it was still possible to supply the defenders with food, ammunition and medicine.
Kyiv is widely expected soon to launch a counter-offensive to retake swathes of territory in the east and south that were occupied by Russian forces following the invasion 15 months ago
In London, the Ministry of Defence highlighted reported problems in Putin’s war machine, though Ukrainian forces are also said to be struggling to get enough munitions for their weapons.
In its latest intelligence update, the MoD said: “On 27 April 2023, Russian military-linked social media claimed that Russia’s Deputy Defence Minister, Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, had been dismissed. Mizintsev held the military logistics portfolio, and had only been in post for eight months.
“Mizintsev’s sacking was not immediately confirmed, but speculation about his future highlights how logistics problems remain at the heart of Russia’s struggling campaign in Ukraine. Russia does not have enough munitions to achieve success on the offensive.”
The briefing added: “Paucity of ammunition drives internal divisions, most notably between Russia’s Ministry of Defence and Wagner Group.
“Russia continues to give the highest priority to mobilising its defence industry, but it is still failing to meet war time demands. While Russia’s political leaders persist in demanding success on the battlefield, Russia’s logistics professionals are stuck in the middle.
On Monday, Russia unleashed a fresh volley of missiles on Ukraine overnight that killed two people in the east, set off huge blazes and damaged dozens of homes and other buildings.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces shelled a village in the Russian Bryansk region bordering Ukraine early on Tuesday, the local governor said in a social media post, a day after an explosion derailed a freight train in the region.
“In the morning, the Armed Forces of Ukraine shelled the village of Kurkovichi in the Starodubsky municipal district.” Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz said in a post on his Telegram channel.
“There were no casualties. As a result of the shelling, a fire broke out in one of the households. All emergency services are on site.”
