Russian soldiers attacking the Ukrainian town of Bakhmut are slowed down since of a tenacious Ukrainian resistance and a comprehensive network of protective strongholds, the head of Russias mercenary company Wagner said Tuesday.
There is a fortress in every home in Bakhmut, Yevgeny Prigozhin stated in an interview with state news company RIA Novosti.
The lads are contesting every home, sometimes for more than a day.
Often it takes them weeks to catch a home.
They take one home, they take another.
Wagner soldiers-- including inmates hired from Russian prisoners-- have actually been leading a Russian assault on Bakhmut that has actually lasted practically 8 months and magnified in early winter as Russian military commanders obviously came under pressure to provide a battlefield victory.
Russias decision to take Bakhmut, a city of little strategic significance, has puzzled many military professionals, who question Moscows huge commitment of men and resources.Bakhmut has actually been severely damaged in the bitter fighting and less than 10,000 civilians from a pre-war population of about 70,000 are believed to remain.
Prigozhin used little peace of mind that Bakhmut might be seized at any time quickly.
They took one house this morning and broke through the defenses.
However behind that home were new protective lines-- and not just one, he told RIA Novosti.
And how many such defensive lines exist in Artemovsk [Bakhmut] If we state 500 we probably will not be slipping up.
Every 10 meters there is a defensive line, he stated.