Battle of Bakhmut “massacre” of Russian troops and Wagner’s mercenaries. General Mark Milley, Chief of the United States General Staff, paints a picture of the clash in an eastern Ukrainian city. The general placed particular emphasis on the role of Wagner’s Men, the organization led by Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Bakhmut – “They’re doing combat operations now mostly in Bakhmut. Maybe about 6,000 full-fledged mercenaries and maybe another 20 or 30,000 recruits, many of them from prisons,” Milley told the House Armed Services Committee, along with the US Secretary of Defense. Lloyd Austin – and they suffer great losses in the Bakhmut region. The Ukrainians are inflicting death and destruction on these guys.”
Outside the front line, Prigozhin describes a different situation. In the battle, the Ukrainian army was “practically destroyed, although Wagner was badly beaten.” “If two powers are fighting today – Ukraine with the whole of the West on the one hand, and Russia with a small number of allies on the other – then the general battle of Wagner against the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which we will win, is the greatest turning point in this war and in all modern history. “
Prigozhin – In his Telegram audio note, Prigozhin says Wagner is “destroying foreign forces trying to bring Russia to its knees. This is a great turning point in the war, because only the Russian army will remain on the chessboard and all other pieces will be removed from it. And if Wagner dies in Bekhmut meat grinder But he won the Armed Forces of Ukraine and those associated with them with foreign weapons, gave the Russian army the opportunity to move forward to protect the interests of Russia, we fulfilled our historical role, period.
Germany – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to seek the support of the West and especially the United States: “The United States really understands that if they stop helping us, we will not win,” he says. Meanwhile, Kiev could count on Germany’s renewed support. Berlin agreed to allocate 12 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine for the next 10 years. The Bundestag’s budget committee gave the go-ahead for direct spending of $8 billion to buy weapons and other defense equipment for Ukraine, thus approving a request from the foreign and defense ministries. Another 4 billion euros will go towards replenishing German stocks emptied of other aid to Ukraine. Since the beginning of the war, Germany has provided more than $14.2 billion in aid to Ukraine.
Zaporizhia – The International Atomic Energy Agency is working to reduce the risk of accidents at the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said after visiting the plant: “The IAEA-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine focus on a plan for a set of ‘fundamental principles’ to protect the facility and some commitments, including a commitment not to attack the plant.”
According to Grossi, the negotiations are developing and now, instead of focusing on “territorial aspects” or on creating a safety zone around the plant, they are dealing with basic “ideas” of protection that both sides can accept without objections. “The nuclear power plant should not be a military target and should not contain equipment or weapons. This is the agreement,” he declared at the press conference, adding that he was “optimistic,” as he tries to put on the table “practical and realistic proposals that can be accepted” by both Ukraine and Russia.
The Director General of the IAEA stressed that since there is a “significant buildup of forces in the region” and there is talk of “attacks” and “counterattacks” by both sides, it is important to first establish a common set of principles for protection. the plant. In this regard, he stressed that talks are underway between various UN security agencies and the military forces of Russia and Ukraine. He reiterated that “it is very important to agree that the factory should not be attacked under any circumstances”, acknowledging that “the situation in general has not improved: it is clear that military activity is increasing, so it is necessary to take all possible measures and precautions to prevent an attack.” plant and its protection.
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