Russia advancing near Bakhmut

Ukraine’s military could pull back from the key eastern stronghold of Bakhmut, an adviser to the Ukrainian president said Wednesday.  Russia’s Defense Ministry on Tuesday said that it had killed roughly 500 Ukrainian troops since Monday morning. Roughly 350 of the casualties occurred around Bakhmut, said Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov. Ukrainian officials said on Monday that elite troops from the Russian Wagner Group were spearheading Russian assaults around Bakhmut. 

What is the Wagner Group? It’s a mercenary group that often serves as a tool of the Russian military, as well as Russian politicians and leaders. The paramilitary group has operated in the Middle East and Africa, as well as Ukraine. Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, owns the group.

Dig deeper: Read Evgeny Kosykh’s report in WORLD Magazine on the mercenaries fighting Russia’s battles.