Wagner Group Stays in Bakhmut After Threat of Withdrawal

Dmitry Prigozhin, the commander of the Wagner mercenary group, announced on Sunday that the plan to withdraw his forces from the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine has been shelved. He stated that after Moscow's promise to supply the group with weapons, they may continue their attacks on Bakhmut, which Moscow considers crucial for capturing other cities in the Donbas region. According to Reuters, Prigozhin had said on Friday that his forces, after months of attacking Bakhmut and facing a shortage of ammunition and suffering 'useless and unjustifiable' losses, would ultimately withdraw from the city. Meanwhile, Ukrainian and Russian media reported explosions across Russian-occupied Crimea, with one explosion reported on Saturday night in the city of Odessa on the Black Sea. Additionally, Reuters reported that on Sunday night, Russia launched extensive attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, resulting in the destruction of residential buildings and injuring five Ukrainian citizens. These attacks occurred as Moscow prepares for celebrations marking the anniversary of its victory, coinciding with the anniversary of Nazi Germany's defeat. Ukrainian officials reported that following a widespread wave of Russian attacks on Kyiv, at least five people were injured, and Russian shelling set a food storage facility on fire in Odessa. Witnesses told Reuters that they heard multiple explosions in Kyiv, and local officials stated that air defense systems were intercepting missile and drone attacks. It is still unclear how many missiles and drones were launched at Kyiv. Meanwhile, the British Ministry of Defense stated that Russia is 'likely to face challenges in increasing its military numbers and equipping them' and assessed that Russia 'likely views the situation as a growing military threat that will continue for many years beyond the current war in Ukraine.'