Pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk claim that they managed to surround the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine as part of a single offensive by the Russian military against Ukraine for several months, TASS reports.

“Artemivsk (Bakhmut is not a Russian name) is now in an operational environment, our forces are closing the ring. Now there are battles for control of the Chasiv Yar-Artemivsk highway, because it is the only artery through which Ukraine can supply its group from Artemivsk,” Denis Pushylin’s adviser on military affairs Yan Gagin said on the air of the Rossiya-24 TV channel. Sereda, the head of the occupation authorities in Donetsk.

Gagin also reported that the route is under fire from Russian troops, who have already hit Ukrainian supply convoys. Adviser Pusilin also said that he is confident that Russian troops will soon take control of the highway.

Earlier, Denys Pushylin stated that Moscow and separatist forces are “systematically working” to cut the supply routes of Ukrainian troops in this area and their surroundings. He also reported that fighting is already taking place on the outskirts of the city, in areas that until recently were occupied by Ukrainian units.

Reuters notes that the statements made by Gagin on Wednesday cannot be independently verified at this time.

Ukraine claims that the Russians sent elite troops to Bakhmut

Adviser Denys Pushylin’s comments on Wednesday came after Volodymyr Nazarenko, deputy commander of the Svoboda Battalion of the 4th Rapid Response Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, told CNN earlier this week that the Russian Airborne Forces had been defeated. sent to Bakhmut after Wagner’s mercenaries would suffer heavy losses.

“Five to six months under Bakhmut was real hell. The enemy is constantly attacking. And we see more how it changes, which, by the way, greatly affects the combat capability, morale and living conditions of each soldier,” he said.

He also said he could not say for sure whether Russian forces had launched a full-scale offensive or whether their tactics had changed, but it appeared that the Wagner fighters had now been replaced by Russian airborne forces.

“We see that Wagner is almost completely destroyed. Now they have been replaced by the airborne troops, which are losing not only soldiers but also armored vehicles almost every day,” he added.

CNN could not independently confirm the casualty claims, but satellite images of an area near a village in Russia show a rapidly expanding cemetery where many of those who died fighting on the side of the Wagner Group are buried.

The advance of Russian troops in the direction of Bakhmut at the beginning of August last year was led by Wagner’s mercenaries led by Yevhen Prigozhin.

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