The Ukrainian Armed Forces have confirmed a statement made by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the private military contractor known as the Wagner Group, that the 72nd Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces had fled from the city of Bakhmut.
According to a source from the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade on Telegram, “Prigozhin’s report about the escape of the 72nd Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces from the vicinities of Bakhmut and the ‘500 corpses’ of Russians who remained there is true. The 3rd Assault Brigade is grateful for the publicity of our success at the front.”
The military personnel reported that over a two-day period, on the southwestern vicinities of the city, attack aircraft of the 3rd Separate Assault Battalion, which belongs to the Azov, had eliminated 64 invaders, with data on the elimination of another 87 being clarified. The brigade notes that among these fighters were members of the Wagner Group.
Additionally, the defenders had captured five Russians and destroyed several warehouses used for Russian ammunition storage, mortars, and “more than one infantry fighting vehicle”.
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia has been ongoing since 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine and tensions escalated in eastern Ukraine. The use of private military contractors like the Wagner Group has become increasingly common in the conflict. The Wagner Group, which is believed to have ties to the Russian government, has been accused of involvement in conflicts in Ukraine, Syria, Libya, and elsewhere.
