Russia deploys mercenary fighters into Bakhmut

A year into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine forces are struggling in the eastern city of Bakhmut. With President Putin of Russia’s deployment of private military contractors belonging to Wagner Group to capture Bakhmut, there is a likelihood that Ukraine forces may have to withdraw from Bakhmut. Having been hit by a spate of drone strikes near Kolomna, Russia is also struggling, leading the war to a deadlock.

According to Reuters on Tuesday, Ukraine forces are being hammered by the Russian military in Bakhmut. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the situation in the Bakhmut area “is getting more and more difficult.” “The enemy threw in the most prepared assault units of Wagner,” the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, said.

Ukraine soldiers are combatting war fatigue in the face of constant attacks by Russian troops. Serhiy Hnezdilow, who enlisted the army after taking a leave of absence from college, said Russia is pouring in a “non-stop pipeline of reinforcements” to occupy the city. There was also a testimony that the Russian army was sending in troops despite casualties. “They are just throwing in meat.”

CNN reported that Alexander Rodnyansky, adviser to President Zelenksky, mentioned a possibility of a strategic pullback from Bakhmut. “We are not going to sacrifice all of our people just for nothing,” he said.

Russia was hit by drone attacks, allegedly from Ukraine, near Kolomna as well as in Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014. Kolomna is just 110 kilometers southeast of Moscow. Reuters reported this would be the closest attempted drone strike to the Russian capital.

Russia’s Defense Ministry accused Ukraine of multiple attempted drone strikes in the Krasnodar and Adygea regions bordering Crimea. Although the Kremlin said there were no casualties or damages, local media reported that a fire broke out at a gas distribution station due to drone strikes. Russia’s second-largest city, St. Petersburg, closed its airspace Tuesday due to unidentified aerial vehicles, briefly banning incoming flights.

President Putin ordered officials to tighten security to counter what he said was espionage and sabotage against Russia by Ukraine and the West. He also ordered tightening security in four Ukraine regions that Moscow has partially seized and claimed as its own.


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