Russia is not abandoning the idea of taking Bakhmut of the Donetsk region under its control until May 9. For this purpose, the Wagner troops are brought to the city, replacing the paratroopers' assault units.
Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Malyar stated this in her address.
"The enemy is trying with all their might to take control of Bakhmut by May 9. To accomplish this task, they are withdrawing Wagner troops from other directions and replacing them with the paratrooper assault units currently fighting in the Bakhmut direction," said Malyar.
According to her, the Ukrainian military does not allow the enemy to break through the defense. In particular, Ukrainian artillery fire destroyed the ammunition storage sites of the Wagnerites.
As previously reported, Moscow set another deadline for the occupation of Bakhmut - May 9. And then, according to one of the versions, the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin can announce the end of the war on this "victorious note": they say, "all his goals have been fulfilled, the Ukrainian army has been defeated."
As Serhiy Cherevaty, the speaker of the Eastern Group of Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said, Russia really wants to capture Bakhmut by May 9, but the Defense Forces will do everything to prevent their plans from becoming a reality.
