NEW: Ukraine has driven Russia's military back from some positions around the eastern city of Bakhmut, according to commanders on both sides, in a small but potentially significant counterattack.
Ukrainian forces had been “unfortunately, partially successful” and were approaching Bakhmut from the flanks, Prigozhin said Thursday on Telegram.
Prigozhin has blamed the Kremlin for purported ammunition shortages in a series of furious video rants.His claims are often unsupported by evidence and could not be verified by NBC News, but were given added weight by Western military analysts and Ukrainian officials. Russia's military has not commented, with the Kremlin saying Thursday that it had"no doubt" Bakhmut"will be taken, and then it will be held.
In an earlier statement, Ukraine’s Third Separate Assault Brigade said: “It’s official. Prigozhin’s report about the flight of Russia’s 72nd Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade from near Bakhmut and the ‘500 corpses’ of Russians left behind is true.” Both sides have suffered tremendous losses in the monthslong battle, which has taken on a symbolic weight beyond its obvious strategic value.
"Pervasive issues with Russian combat capability, exacerbated by continued attritional assaults are likely But Zelenskyy cautioned that his army still needed more help from its Western allies before launching what could be a pivotal assault.
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