KIEV: The situation around the embattled city of Bakhmut is still difficult, as Wagner forces are trying to break through Ukraine's defence lines, the commander of Ukraine's land forces said on Monday.
Oleksandr Syrskyi described the situation around Bakhmut as still difficult.
"The Wagner assault groups are attacking from several directions and trying to break through the defences of our forces and advance into the city centre," he said, according to a Ukrainian military statement.
He was referring to the Russian mercenary force led by Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Ukrainian units inflicted "noticeable losses" on the enemy with artillery, tanks. "The defence of the fortress continues!" the colonel general assured.
According to Ukrainian military observers, Russian units have gained ground mainly north and north-east of Bakhmut. The Monday morning report also reported fighting around several localities north of Bakhmut.
On the Russian side, a Ukrainian counter-attack to relieve Bakhmut in the Donetsk region is increasingly expected. Prigozhin had mentioned this in a video message as a threat scenario for his units.
According to Russian reports, several Ukrainian brigades were massed between the cities of Sloviansk and Kostiantynivka for this purpose.So far, however, the mud that appears in the spring has not allowed for quick advances off paved roads.
A Ukrainian counter-attack is not the only worry for Prigozhin and his Wagner troops, as they could face difficulties due to a lack of new prisoners as recruits, according to British estimates released on Monday.
Half of the prisoners previously recruited had become victims of the heavy fighting, it said. A nationwide recruitment campaign is not compensating for the losses.
"If the ban endures, Prigozhin will likely be forced to reduce the scale or intensity of Wagner operations in Ukraine," the ministry's tweets concluded.
The assessment comes as Ukrainians who came to Germany for operational training on the Leopard 2 main battle tank are nearing the end of their several weeks' training, with soldiers firing live fire on Monday at the Bergen military training area in Lower Saxony.
The training has enabled the Ukrainian soldiers to conduct fire fights with the modern weapon system, said Brigadier General Björn Schulz,commander of the tank troop school in Munster at the military site in Lower Saxony.
Germany is supplying Ukraine with 18 modern Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks, and Portugal with another three of the weapon systems. Experts firmly believe that the Leopard 2 is clearly superior in combat against Russian tank forces. The Ukrainian soldiers are to return home with the tanks before the end of March.
Elsewhere, Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya described President Alexander Lukashenko as Russia's "accomplice" in its war of against Ukraine.
"He carries out all the orders of Putin," Tikhanovskaya told German radio on Monday. Without his approval, attacks on Ukraine would not be possible. Lukashenko is selling his country's independence piece by piece, she said. — dpa
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