“You can’t take Bachmut, damn it!”

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For the past six months, Ukrainian troops have been fighting tirelessly against Russian troops in Bakhmut Oblast. In recent weeks, the situation has come to a head: the Russians seem to be gaining the upper hand on towns and villages. In early March, Wagner mercenaries could be seen raising their flag in the middle of the city.

But now the tide seems to have turned. According to British intelligence, Russian troops are withdrawing. An overheard conversation between two Russian soldiers published by the Ukrainian secret service shows how hopeless the situation is on the ground.

“Yesterday alone, 119 soldiers voluntarily left their combat positions,” explains one of the men. “If you don’t report for 48 hours, you go to jail,” he says. 90 of the 119 soldiers were later found and 70 are now under criminal proceedings. 30 were captured immediately. They are accused of refusing military service.

No equipment, no motivation

The conversation between the two Russian soldiers shows the plight of the Russians. “We have yet to conquer Kharkov,” says one of them. “And Kiev,” the other reminds him. “Is correct. But at least Kharkov!” But apart from the advance towards Bakhmut, there have been hardly any territorial successes on the Russian side in recent months.

“You can’t fucking get Bachmut,” the Russian soldier complained. And: «There is not enough equipment!» The other adds: “Or there is no motivation.”

The intercepted call indicates that the Russians are being pushed back in the Bakhmut region. Ukrainian commander-in-chief Valeriy Zalushnyi (49) announced that Ukrainian troops had managed to stabilize the situation in eastern Bakhmut. Nevertheless, the disputed city is one of the most difficult front sections.

“Considerable losses of Russian troops”

The British Ministry also assumes that the fighting in Bakhmut has come to a standstill. “This is probably due to the significant losses suffered by the Russian armed forces,” it said on Twitter on Saturday.

Wagner mercenaries launched two offensive attacks in Bachmut on Friday, but both attacks were repelled.

The Russians had meanwhile retreated to more southern regions. The aim is to stabilize the front line in Avdiivka, Kreminna and Svatowe. British intelligence interprets this as a sign that Russian forces are on the defensive.

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Source: Blick