Ukraine claimed this Monday, May 15 the “first success” of its assault around Bakhmout, progressing on the flanks of the Russian defences, just as its President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in London to continue his European tour and ask for even more military aid.
Even before it arrived in the UK, London promised delivery ” in the coming months “ of “hundreds” anti-aircraft missiles and attack drones in kyiv, as the Ukrainian army completes its preparations to drive Russian troops out of its territory.
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War in Ukraine: in Bakhmout, the carnage continues
For several days, the Ukrainian army has said that it has been advancing north and south of Bakhmout, the epicenter of the fighting for several months and the scene of the bloodiest battle since the start of the Russian invasion.
kyiv says it has captured ‘more than 10 enemy positions’
“The advance of our troops in the Bakhmout area is the first success of the offensive” aimed at defending this city, controlled today mainly by the Russians, declared on Monday General Oleksandre Syrsky, the commander of the Ukrainian ground troops.
On Sunday, kyiv had already sworn to have captured “more than 10 enemy positions north and south of the suburbs of Bakhmout”after claiming Friday to have taken two kilometers in the area.
“The battle of Bakhmout is no longer anything but a symbol, everyone thinks only of the Ukrainian counter-offensive”
Conversely, Russia says for its part that it is advancing within this city itself, which it has been tirelessly trying to conquer since last summer, at the cost of significant losses and without success at this stage.
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Wagner boss accuses Russian army of ‘leaking’
Observers doubt the strategic significance of conquering this city for Moscow, but it would allow the Kremlin to post a victory after several humiliating setbacks.
On the spot, the paramilitary group Wagner is supported by the regular Russian army, although its leader, the businessman Evguéni Prigojine, regularly accuses the military hierarchy of not giving enough ammunition to his men to be able to conquer Bakhmout.
“Wagner, Putin’s shadow army”, in the Kremlin’s secret service
Last week, he even accused some Russian army soldiers of ” flee “ their positions, considering that the defenses “collapse”.
For its part, the Russian Defense Ministry, with which Yevgeny Prigojine has been in open conflict for several months, repeated again on Sunday “having repelled all attacks” au “north and south” of Bakhmout, sweeping aside the assertions of kyiv.
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Zelensky on European tour
A sign, however, that the situation has become complicated for the Russian army, the ministry also announced on Sunday the death in combat of two military officials, a rare communication from Moscow since the start of its invasion.
This first breakthrough claimed by Ukraine in its Donbass region comes at a time when President Volodymyr Zelensky is touring several European chancelleries to demand more weapons and military equipment for his men.
This Monday, he is going to London to his « ami Rishi » Sunak, whose country “has been a leader in providing (Kiev) additional land and air resources”, he announced. Negotiations will be held in the English capital ” face to face “ et “via delegations”according to him.
On May 11, the United Kingdom announced the supply of Storm Shadow missiles, which can strike at 250 kilometers, the type of weaponry that Ukraine has been asking for months to hit Russian targets far behind the front line.
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No delivery of combat aircraft at the moment
On Sunday, Volodymyr Zelensky had received a renewed commitment from France in Paris, particularly in the field of light armored vehicles, which are particularly useful on the battlefield.
“In the coming weeks, France will train and equip several battalions with dozens of armored vehicles and light tanks, including AMX-10 RC”according to the joint statement issued after the dinner between Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron.
War in Ukraine: why the word “victory” is political as well as military
Volodymyr Zelensky was stopping over in France after visiting Italy over the weekend, where he met Pope Francis and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, then Germany.
Volodymyr Zelensky’s German step, the first since the beginning of the Russian invasion, marked a clear warming of relations between Berlin and Kiev, a time strained by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s procrastination in delivering the weapons demanded by the Ukraine. The German government also announced a new military aid package for Ukraine of 2.7 billion euros, a record amount since the start of the conflict, including in particular dozens of tanks, armored vehicles, surveillance drones and four new Iris-T air defense systems.
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China sends envoy to Ukraine
However, Volodymyr Zelensky’s repeated request to his Italian, German and French counterparts for combat aircraft remained in vain. “The question is a bit premature”reiterated an adviser to Emmanuel Macron.
Also on the diplomatic level, the Chinese envoy Li Hui, special representative for Eurasian affairs in charge of discussing the settlement of the war in Ukraine, will visit Kiev on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to a senior Ukrainian government official.
This trip is part of a larger tour that also includes Poland, France, Germany and Russia, where Li Hui is to discuss “of a political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis”according to Beijing.
