Russia deploys regular army forces to join Wagner PMC in Bakhmut, but AFU eliminate "elite" paratroopers - Spokesperson for Eastern Grouping

Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesman for the Eastern Grouping of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, shared the information on the United News national telethon.

Currently, Russian forces in the Bakhmut direction consist of mostly Wagner PMC mercenaries.

"They (Wagner PMC - ed.) are still the main striking force because they are the only ones who are able to constantly attack under the threat of death," Cherevatyi emphasized.

The spokesperson for the Eastern military grouping added that Russian forces are suffering huge losses, and therefore have deployed regular army forces to Bakhmut.

"They are forced to reinforce themselves as the flow of convicts has ended. And there is no way to train the personnel quickly. They are using regular army units, primarily the airborne troops of the Russian Federation. They call them elite, but our soldiers eliminate their elitism every day, they have done it more than once in different areas," says the spokesman.

Cherevatyi noted that Russia is forced to use its regular army, because Wagner PMC is not coping.

"If they can't replace these personnel, the 'glorious history' of this terrorist group will come to an end in Bakhmut," the military said. 

• Russian troops have turned part of Bakhmut into the Syrian city of Aleppo, which was massively destroyed by bombing.  

• In the city of Bakhmut, Donetsk region, the most violent and heavy clashes continue, the Russian army has concentrated its most professional units, but they are unable to gain full control of the city.