A geotagged video released by Wagner’s militants shows Russian mercenaries raising the group’s flag on a building near the center of the besieged Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

Destroyed car in BakhmutPhoto: Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP / Profimedia

A video posted Friday on the Wagner-affiliated Telegram channel shows a black flag typical of leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s private mercenary company flying over a building in the snowy city of Bakhmut, CNN reported.

The Institute for the Study of War said on Saturday that Russian forces had advanced in Bakhmut and Ukrainian forces had regained positions in the Bakhmut area.

  • Russian troops continued offensive operations in Bakhmut and its surroundings and advanced towards the city starting from March 31.
  • Geolocation images released on March 31 show the Wagner Group flag on a building in the center of Bakhmut, 400 meters from the city administration building.
  • Russian media bloggers claimed that Wagner’s troops continued to advance north and south of Bakhmut and unsuccessfully tried to advance west toward Khromovo.
  • A well-known millblogger noted that “Wagner” is unable to make much progress in Bakhmut and that all attacks in and around the city are unsuccessful.
  • Wagner Group financier Yevhen Prigozhin said that there are no signs that Ukrainian troops will leave Bakhmut.

Meanwhile, the Institute for the Study of War says that Ukrainian forces have regained positions around the town of Bakhmut, and Ukrainian officials continue to stress the importance of continuing Ukraine’s defenses in the area on March 31. Geolocation images released on March 31 indicate that Ukrainian forces launched a counterattack southwest of Bakhmut and regained lost positions south of Ivanivskyi (approximately 7 km southwest of Bakhmut).

A town of about 70,000 before the war, Bakhmut became a symbol of the struggle between the Russians and Ukrainians for control of the industrial region of Donbass due to the length of the battle and the heavy losses on both sides.

In recent months, Russian troops have advanced north and south of the city, cutting off several Ukrainian supply routes and capturing its eastern part.