Russian offensive units may take full control of Bakhmut by May 10
(Baonghean.vn) - Russian military experts predict that in the next 4 days - until May 10, the attacking units will be able to completely control Artemovsk (also known as Bakhmut).
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| Ruins in Bakhmut after fighting. Photo: Reuters |
The founder of the Wagner Private Military Company, Yevgeny Prigozhin, announced that Wagner fighters will leave Artemovsk on May 10, due to a lack of artillery shells. According to him, due to the lack of artillery shells, Wagner's losses are increasing every day. Wagner has received less than 30% of the required artillery shells and now they have received less than 10%.
Over the past several months, Bakhmut has become the fiercest front in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. It is undeniable that Wagner members have played a major role in the campaigns to gain control of the "hot spot" of Bakhmut, alongside the Russian main force.
Russian military analyst Mikhail Onufrienko believes that the transfer of areas in Bakhmut has not yet taken place. In fact, to do this, it would be necessary to abandon some positions, which would immediately be taken by the Ukrainian army reserves. Moreover, the introduction of Airborne Forces units into Artemovsk, which do not have a full understanding of the situation in the region, would lead to many consequences and risks. Therefore, this is not a transfer that will be carried out soon.
Artemovsk is the most important front line, compared to all other directions. Therefore, it is necessary to take full control of this area before the counterattack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This area needs to be balanced in everything, especially in terms of logistics.
Russian military analyst Mikhail Onufrienko said that the Russian Defense Ministry will certainly increase supplies and satisfy the "hunger for artillery shells" of Wagner gunmen.
"And if everything goes well, then in the next four days - by May 10, the assault units will be able to take full control of Artemovsk, liberating the rest of the city from Ukrainian control. And only then will they be transferred to the Airborne Forces," Onufrienko predicted.
To date, Russia continues to use airborne units - the elite combat force of the Russian army - to locate and eliminate enemy forces within the framework of special military operations.
On Wagner's Telegram channel on May 5, Mr. Yevgeny Prigozhin said that Wagner units had advanced about 170 meters in Artemovsk in different directions over the past day. According to Mr. Prigozhin, Wagner gunmen controlled 59,500 meters.2in this city, “despite the shortage of artillery shells.”
Currently, the Ukrainian Armed Forces only control 2.52km2. Mr. Prigozhin added that Wagner soldiers still “have the ability to advance in Artemovsk, before the end of May 9 (Victory Day)”.
On the same day, May 5, on the Telegram channel, the head of the Russian Republic of Chechnya, Mr. Ramzan Kadyrov, announced that if the gunmen of the Wagner Private Military Company leave Artemovsk, the Chechen Akhmat units are ready to take their place.
“If the elder brother Prigozhin and Wagner leave, the General Staff will lose an experienced combat unit and the younger brother Kadyrov and Akhmat will take their place in Artemovsk. If the scenario remains the same, our fighters are ready to advance and take the city. The problem will be solved in a few hours,” Kadyrov wrote.
