Evgeny Prigozhin. Photo: Frame from video.
Evgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Wagner PMC, published a long article in which he explained the advantage for Russia of the long battle for Bakhmut (Artemovsk).
» Bakhmut enables the Russian army to build up strength, take advantageous frontiers oborona»,-said Prigozhin. According to him, Russia also gets time to prepare the mobilized and fully equipped to meet the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
«Bakhmut is extremely beneficial for us, we grind the Ukrainian army there and restrain their maneuvers,» the founder also wrote. PMC «Wagner».
At the same time, Prigozhin pointed out that the capture of Artemovsk would not provide the Russian troops with a fleeting victory, because this city was followed by Seversk, Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, Konstantinovka, Druzhkovka and Chasov Yar, forming the Ukrainian fortified area «Donbas ring».
He also noted that the Armed Forces of Ukraine had gathered about 200,000 sufficiently trained fighters for the counteroffensive. It was announced first on December 20, then on January 1, the end of January, on February 24, on April 3-5, but each time was postponed. According to Prigozhin, if the Armed Forces of Ukraine do not move forward in the near future, they will gradually lose their combat potential.
«To summarize, the Ukrainians are ready for an offensive. We are ready to repel the blow,» Prigozhin summed up.