Occupation authorities in Donbas claim that Russian troops are advancing, but with difficulty
Denís Pushilin, the governor of the occupation authorities in the Ukrainian province of Donetsk, in the east of the country, has assured this Saturday that the Russian troops have improved their positions near Bakhmut, Mariinka and Vuhledar, although he admitted that advancing is very difficult. against the Ukrainian resistance. “Bajmut is being liberated. There is already information on the outskirts about the improvement of the positions: Paraskoviivka has been liberated which allows us to be closer to blocking the way to Chasiv Yar, which is the only one of the five roads that supply the city in the hands of the enemy,” Pushilin said, according to the official TASS news agency.
Russia has been trying to take Bakhmut since last July, with the aim of breaking through to the Ukrainian strongholds of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, northwest of the city, and the main towns of the province in Ukrainian hands.
The Kremlin’s first objective is to fully seize the Donetsk and Lugansk provinces, the Donbass region, whose formal annexation to Russia (not recognized by the international community) It was the prelude to the invasion, almost a year ago.
On Friday, the founder of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, assured that Paraskoviivka —adjacent to Krasna Hora, which Russia previously considered taken, but Ukraine has not yet considered lost— fell under the control of his units.
Pushilin has also maintained that southwest of the regional capital Donetsk, captured by Russia in 2014, Russian troops are advancing, especially in Mariinka and Vuhledar, although they are met with fierce resistance from Ukrainian forces, as well as in Bakhmut.
“In Mariinka in the western part there is also an improvement in position,” he said, although he admitted that advancing from 30 to 50 meters is already an achievement, because Ukraine is moving reserves to this Donetsk suburb. “In addition, there are very serious fortifications that have been prepared for years,” he added.
Meanwhile, the leader imposed by Russia in neighboring Lugansk, Leonid Pasechnik, has acknowledged today that the situation is difficult for Russian troops on the Kreminna and Svatove front, near the administrative border with Donetsk, due to the bombardment by the Armed Forces. from Ukraine.
On the 8th, the retired lieutenant colonel of the collaborationist troops in Lugansk, Andrei Marochko, said that the Russian forces were occupying more advantageous positions near Svatove and Kreminna, which allows them to carry out more precise attacks against the Ukrainian troops and equipment. According to Russia, Ukrainian forces attack Russian troops in this direction in small mobile groups up to six times a day. (Efe)
