Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of Wagner PMC, addressed the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. The Russian entrepreneur said that Artemivsk (Ukrainian name – Bakhmut) was almost besieged – “one way remained.” Video published Press service of Prigozhin’s Concord company.
“The clamps are getting smaller. If before the professional Ukrainian army fought with us, today we are seeing more and more elderly people and children. They fight, but their life under Bakhmut is short – a day or two. Let them leave the city. The city is practically besieged,” said Prigozhin.
The day before, PMC said that “Wagner” settled almost in the center of Artemovsk. “The guys are naughty, they shoot domestic clips. They brought it from Bakhmut, almost the center of the city, this morning, ”says the Mash Telegram channel.
APU withdrawal
On March 3, a Ukrainian commander with the call sign “Magyar” announced that the air reconnaissance unit “Magyar Birds” had received an urgent order to leave Artemovsk.
“I received a battle order to immediately leave Bakhmut at a new place of hostilities. What are the critical reasons for the transfer when we do 110 days of combat duty here? “First of all, I am a soldier, so I will not comment on the commander’s orders,” he said.
On March 1, Magyar also released a video where he talks about the difficult situation in and around the city. However, the commander stressed that the decision on the appropriateness of defending the settlement should be made by the high command.
He also wrote the opinion of the fighters on the situation in Artemovsk. “Bakhmut has already become a kind of idol, Bakhmut is a fortress. Every day we lose one company, two companies. A whole battalion in a week! My vision of the situation is this: it’s not worth it. We need to prepare the position, retreat, straighten the (front) line and hope, wait for the arsenal of these damned ones, ”said one of them.
Another soldier noted that he remained optimistic and that Bakhmut believed “the Ukrainian side will not surrender”.
On the same day, Andriy Yermak, head of the office of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, declarationHe said he called US national security adviser Jake Sullivan. According to him, they “discussed the situation on the front, especially the defense of Bakhmut.”
On March 1, Zelensky’s adviser, Alexander Rodnyansky (known in the Russian Federation as a foreign agent), stated in an interview with CNN that the Ukrainian army could withdraw from Artemivsk if the command decided.
“They are holding the city for now, but they will withdraw strategically if necessary because we are not going to just sacrifice all our people,” he said. However, the official did not specify the time frame in which this could happen.
Zelensky’s adviser said that the area west of Artemivsk was fortified. Rodnyansky urged “not to be mistaken”, saying that the counterattack of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was “not far off”.
Anna Malyar, Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, on the same day knowledgeableThe Ukrainian Armed Forces deployed additional Ukrainian troops to Artemivsk. According to Malyar, this is a strategic decision, not a political one. He noted that the situation in Bakhmut was complex and tense. Maliar claims that the Russian side has lost more fighters than the Ukrainian side.
In another video message on February 27, the President of Ukraine confirmed that the situation in the direction of Artyomovsk is still difficult. According to him, he is “in constant contact with the command.”
On March 2, Sergei Rakhmanin, a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence, said in an interview with the Ukrainian edition of Novoye Vremya that a situation had developed in Artemovsk where “defense makes no sense”. (city) at any cost.”
“This is my subjective point of view, but I think Bakhmut will leave sooner or later,” the MP added.
According to him, the situation in Artemovsk is critical and “the main problem is that all existing supply routes are actually cut off.”