South Front
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It seems that the conflict between the Wagner PMC and the Russian Ministry of Defence is over. On May 7, head of the PMC Evgeny Prigozhin claimed that he was promised to receive all the ammunition and weapons necessary to continue military operations. The Russian military officials also promised to secure the flank in Bakhmut.
Russian General Surovikin, who was the commander of all Russian forces in Ukraine from October 2022 to January 2023, was appointed responsible for cooperation between the Wagner PMC and the Russian Defence Ministry. Surovikin commented on the situation:
“From the very beginning, I have been in contact with Yevgeny Prigozhin and shared my opinion about some military operations. From the very beginning, I opposed the restriction of arms supplies to them in the Ministry. They restricted me as much as they could, but now I have achieved this. I have achieved a concrete solution that will move our front further. Yes, it cost a lot for me, but fortunately the train started. Shells are already being shipped and their production is increasing. In the near future, some units will be regrouped and the remaining nationalists in Bakhmut will be blockaded. Victory will be ours!”
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Despite the obstacles, Wagner fighters did not stop their assault in the city of Bakhmut. According to Prigozhin, on May 8 alone, Wagner fighters advanced 130 meters in the western district of Bakhmut. In total, 15,000 square meters came under Russian control over the past day. Approximately 2.36 square kilometers remain under control of the AFU.
In its turn, the Russian Ministry of Defence also reported on the ongoing battle for Bakhmut. Wagner PMCs with the support of the Airborne Forces and the Southern Military District continued their offensive in the west of Artemovsk (Bakhmut). The airborne forces supported Wagner fighters and contained the AFU on the flanks. The Russian Army hit the Ukrainian military positions in the areas of Krasny, Bogdanovka, Stupochka and Chasov Yar.
During the day, Russian aircraft carried out 5 sorties in this area, 69 firing tasks were carried out by the group’s artillery. During the day, the Ukrainian losses amounted to more than 380 militants and mercenaries, 1 tank, 4 armored fighting vehicles, 6 cars, an Acacia self-propelled gun, 2 D-20 and D-30 howitzers.
The main direction of the Russian assault in Bakhmut is Yubileynaya Street, where the Russians are storming the multi-storey buildings from two flanks. Ukrainian militants are forced to retreat.
Battles are ongoing from one house to another. Ukrainian servicemen are jumping through the windows, fleeing from Wagner fighters who take control of floor after floor.
According to Ukrainian sources, Russian fighter have already reached Medvedev and Chernyakhovsky Streets during their advance from the north. Fighting is also ongoing in the area of the intersection of Levanevsky and Liberators of Donbass streets.
The local medical and industrial colleges are under Russian control.
The mop up operation in the medical college filmed by Wagner fighters:
According to some reports, the AFU command is preparing a provocation in Bakhmut in order to discredit the Wagner PMC. There are reportedly civilians hiding in the basement of a residential building on Yubileynaya str., 69. The Ukrainian military plans to create a fake humanitarian corridor for their evacuation; but in fact they will shell at the civilians, filming the war crime in order to blame the Russian fighters.
Meanwhile, more civilians are being secured and evacuated by the Wagner PMC. The following video shows an elderly woman sharing her opining on the Russian PMCs:
Meanwhile, the situation of the remnants of the Ukrainian garrison in Bakhmut is increasingly desperate. Ukrainian military commander Syrsky, who visited the city two days before, called the situation tense and noted the high intensity of shelling of the AFU positions.
On the evening of May 8, another series of powerful strikes at the AFU positions in the west of Bakhmut was reported. Several direct strikes reportedly hit the areas of accumulation of Ukrainian military personal and equipment when the AFU tried to regroup on the western outskirts of the city between Podgornaya Street and the Bubka Olympic Reserve School located on Chernyahovskoho Street. The positions of the 101st and 120th brigades of the Ukrainian territorial defence were likely destroyed by Russian heavy FAB-500 bombs. Ukrainian units were reportedly preparing to retreat to Khromovo.
Videos shared by Ukrainian servicemen are becoming less optimistic:
On the city outskirts, the villages of Khromovo, Bogdanovka, Orekhovo-Vasilevka, Krasnoe, Novomarkovo remain under control of the AFU. Russian forces have not yet entered these settlements.
However, all roads to Bakhmut remain under close fire control. Fighting is ongoing near the highway west of Khromovo. Despite heavy losses, the Ukrainian military continues its attempts to transfer military supplies and even drives additional equipment into the city to partially replace the destroyed one.
The road to Konstantinovka:
Commander of the Ukrainian grouping in Bakhmut Syrsky claimed that the task of the Ukrainian military is to keep control of the remaining districts of Bakhmut at least until May 9. This is the same scenario that the notorious Ukrainian garrison in Mariupol followed when hiding in the basements of the Azovstal plant. Then, ‘brave Ukrainian Nazis’ were also ordered not to capitulate until the great holiday. Then, they surrendered shortly after the Victory Day.
In his turn, head of the Wagner PMC Prigozhin earlier claimed that his fighters have no task to take control of Bakhmut by any date. They are ordered to inflict as heavier damage to the AFU as possible.
