Prigozhin claims Russian forces completely capture Bakhmut

The video address was published by Prigozhin's press service.

"Today at noon, at 12 o'clock, Bakhmut was completely taken. The last section of the so-called "airplane" high-rise was taken," he said.

"The operation to capture Bakhmut lasted 224 days," added Prigozhin.

At the same time, the mercenary leader emphasises that the occupation of Bakhmut is primarily the achievement of his PMC.

He also thanked Russian generals Surovikin and Mezentsev for their assistance, and accused Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov of obstructing the actions of the Wagner fighters.

"And we thank Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin," Prigozhin said.

According to him, starting May 25, Wagner PMC will withdraw its units from Bakhmut. The mercenaries will go "for rest and retraining".

During this time, "defence boundaries" should be created, and then the occupied city "will be handed over to the Ministry of Defense (Russian Ministry of Defense - ed.)." 

Reaction of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense 

The Ukrainian side responded to Prigozhin's statement.

"There are heavy battles in Bakhmut. The situation is critical. At the same time, our troops are holding the defence in the area of "airplane"," informed Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Maliar.

"As of now, our defenders control certain industrial and infrastructure facilities in the area and the private sector," she clarified at 4:43 pm.

What happened before? 

Before that, Maliar reported an increase in the presence of Russian forces in Bakhmut by several thousand soldiers.

There was also information about successful counterattacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the north and south of Bakhmut.

Expert opinions

According to military analyst Serhiy Zgurets, even if the occupying Russian forces capture the city of Bakhmut, it will not be a tactical victory but an operational defeat, as the enemy has not achieved any systemic goals.

According to him, it did not open the gates for a further offensive on Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. Secondly, the number of enemy personnel who suffered losses is catastrophic. Zgurets recalls the published statistics of losses from Defense Minister Reznikov: Russia lost 70,000 soldiers in the Bakhmut area. And every day the enemy loses almost 300 people killed or wounded within the battalion.  

In his turn, Serhiy Kryvonos, General of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, First Deputy Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (2016-2019), former Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, stated in March 2023 that Bakhmut should be abandoned and Ukrainian military should retreat to prepared lines outside the city.