Ukraine said it repelled a full day of Russian attacks in and around the devastated city of Bakhmut on Thursday and made gains of up to a kilometer in some places, buying time for “certain planned actions”, Reuters reported.

The head of Wagner’s mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is leading the Russian attack on Bakhmut, said his forces had advanced 400 meters, according to an audio recording on his Telegram channel.

Ukraine advanced by one kilometer in some areas of the city of Bakhmut

While Russia strengthened its forces in the city and attacked the northern outskirts and fought fierce battles on the southern outskirts, Ukrainian forces advanced 500 meters in the north and in some areas a kilometer in the south, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna said. Painter in his Telegram channel.

“The defense of Bakhmut and its surroundings is fulfilling its military tasks,” she said. “We now control the southwestern part of Bakhmut.”

According to her, Russia attacked Bakhmut all day, “significantly strengthening” its group in Bakhmut, withdrawing most of its reserves there.

“Our defenders repelled all attacks,” she added.

In Kyiv, there is talk of several days of success on the battlefield around Bakhmut, which could finally detain Wagner’s troops inside the city.

Hanna Malyar said on Tuesday that in recent days, Kyiv forces have regained about 20 square kilometers of the territory around Bakhmut.

Prigozhin, who said a week ago that the flanks of his forces were under pressure near Bakhmut, said they continued to erode. “Most likely, the resistance in Bakhmut is part of the (Ukrainian) counteroffensive plan,” he added.

Prigozhin accuses the Russian military of fleeing

The Russian oligarch, who has repeatedly accused Russia’s military leadership of not doing enough to support its people, has urged the Defense Ministry to keep its flanks in Bakhmut open after what he claims is the withdrawal of regular troops.

“Unfortunately, Russian Defense Ministry units retreated 570 meters north of Bakhmut, exposing our flanks,” Prigozhin said in a voice message, news.ro reports.

“I am addressing the top management of the Ministry of Defense – publicly – because my letters are not being read,” Prigozhin added, referring to his previous written requests.

“Please don’t give up the flanks,” he asked, addressing Russian Defense Minister Serhiy Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff, commander of the operation in Ukraine Valery Gerasimov.

Moscow views Bakhmut, a town of about 70,000 before Russia’s full-scale invasion nearly 15 months ago, as a stepping stone to take over the rest of the Donbass region.

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