Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian paramilitary group “Wagner”, announced on Saturday that his fighters had captured another village near Bakhmut, a Ukrainian city that Russian forces have been trying to capture since the summer, AFP reports, Reuters and Agerpres.

“On February 25, at 19:00, the airborne assault units of the Wagner private military company completely took control of the town of Yagidne, which is north of Bakhmut,” Prigozhin said in a video message, publishing a photo of Wagner fighters in the village on Telegram. in front of the road sign with the name of this village. The day before, he also announced the capture of Berkgovka, another village near Bakhmut.

The information provided by Chief Wagner about the last conquered area has not yet been confirmed by other sources, but if the occupation of the village of Yagidne is confirmed, it would mean that the Russian troops gained new positions, this village was only two kilometers from the center of Bakhmut, a strategically important city, in relation to on which opinions differ, but which has become for the Russian and Ukrainian armies a symbol of their struggle for control over Donbas in eastern Ukraine.

Russian troops are trying to surround the city and have managed to block several supply routes for Ukrainian troops. The latter, according to Wagner’s unit, blew up the Northern dam west of Bakhmut, the information is also not confirmed by other sources.

The possible capture of the city of Bakhmut, the site of some of the bloodiest battles since the beginning of the Russian military campaign against Ukraine a year ago, will open the way for Russian troops to the cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, the main strongholds of Ukrainian forces. army in Donbas.

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