Prigozhin says Bakhmut’s "500 lines of defence” prevent Russia from capturing it

The video of Yevgeny Prigozhin talking to the Wagner fighters was published on his Telegram by RT journalist Konstantin Pridybaylo.

Prigozhin comments on the situation in Bakhmut, calling it Artemivsk, as the settlement was called during the Soviet times and until 2016.

"In war, no one predicts such things, only clowns who arrange circus performances... they are called analysts," says Prigozhin, dressed in camouflage, answering the question when Bakhmut will be captured.

"Breaking through the defence is capturing a house this morning; and here you have it, you have broken through the defence. And behind this house there is a new defence. And not just one defence. And such defence lines, how many defence lines are there in Artemivsk? Well, if we say 500, we will probably not be mistaken," said Prigozhin.

One of the fighters inserts a remark, saying "Yes, every 10 metres".

Then, Prigozhin, who has a well-known and public conflict with the Russian Ministry of Defense, asks the soldiers what "combined forces" are here. The soldiers answered "there is no one", "only Wagner PMC and more Wagner PMC."

However, later Prigozhin softens the last remarks. "There are good military men here, in the neighbourhood," he says.

In other versions of the video posted on the Internet, Wagner PMC fighters also say that they cannot succeed because they lack equipment and ammunition.

The heaviest battles for Bakhmut have been going on for several months, in which members of the Wagner PMC are actively involved. Ukrainian and Western experts say that the Russian military and Prigozhin's fighters are suffering heavy losses there, achieving only minor progress. The Ukrainian Armed Forces also report Russia’s heavy casualties.