According to information from the Russian side, only four main roads are currently under the control of the armed forces of Ukraine in the city of Bakhmut. After Wagner mercenary units gained control of the central part of the city and almost all of Bakhmut’s administrative buildings during offensive operations, it became known that only four major roads remained under Ukrainian control. This essentially means that Bakhmut has been almost entirely owned by the Russian private military company called Wagner.
Currently, and according to reports from the Russian side, Wagner units have forced Ukrainian positions to withdraw from the central part of the city, resulting in them now controlling 83 to 85 percent of Bakhmut.
Only Levanevsky, Chaikovsky, Yubileinaya and partially Korsunsky streets are under the control of the Ukrainian armed forces. Given the current situation, it is very likely that in the coming days Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner fighters will shift the contact line even deeper, against the Ukrainian soldiers. Thus will begin the total expulsion and retreat of the remaining forces of Kiev, the fate of which is questioned by many experts, who point out that most of the escape corridors are closed. According to Russian calculations, the complete occupation of the city by Wagner will take place within the next two to three weeks, not in May, as initial speculation indicated. Not long ago, the head of the company, Yevgeny Prigozhin, reported that his fighters had acquired 70 percent of Bakhmut, so you understand that the Russian calculations are not overly optimistic, since the Russian advance is steady.
On the other hand, the armed forces of Ukraine continue to report that they are in control of the central part of the city, but video footage released by both Wagner and the Ukrainian army in Bakhmut shows that the positions of Ukrainian soldiers have partially retreated. and are now 500 to 700 meters from the city center.
A few days ago, Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin had published a video announcing the seizure of Bakhmut’s town hall, adding that given this success (and others, such as the seizure of other administrative buildings in the city), the city of Bakhmut now belongs to Wagner, at least legally.
