Russian forces and mercenaries are close to closing the last access routes to the besieged city of Bakhmut in Ukraine, nearing a significant victory for Moscow after six months of the bloodiest battles of the war. Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner private military group, stated that the city, largely devastated, is nearly fully surrounded, with only one exit route remaining open for Ukrainian troops. A victory in Bakhmut, which had a population of around 70,000 before the war, would mark Russia's first substantial advance in a costly winter offensive following the mobilization of hundreds of thousands of reservists last year. Russia claims this would serve as a springboard for capturing the surrounding Donbas region, one of the war's primary objectives.
Ukraine regained control of large areas of territory in the second half of 2022, but its forces have been in a defensive position for three months. They assert that Bakhmut's strategic value is low, but the massive casualties there could determine the war's trajectory. Dressed in combat gear in a video filmed on the roof of a building, Prigozhin urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to order a withdrawal from Bakhmut to save his soldiers' lives. He added, "Wagner's units have effectively surrounded Bakhmut. Only one way remains (to exit)... the siege is becoming tighter."
Both sides claim to have inflicted heavy losses on each other in Bakhmut. Kyiv insists that its forces are still holding their positions there, though they admit that the situation has deteriorated over the past few days. According to Volodymyr Nazarenko, one of the deputies in the Ukrainian National Guard, the situation is "critical" and fighting continues "uninterrupted." He added, "They do not care about losses in their attempt to seize the city with their offensive. Our troops' mission in Bakhmut is to inflict as many casualties as possible on the enemy. The cost of every meter of Ukrainian land demands hundreds of enemy lives."
Ukrainian drone unit commander Robert Provdiy stated in a video posted on social media that his unit received orders from the military to withdraw immediately from the city. He noted that they had been fighting there for 110 days but did not provide a reason for the withdrawal order.
**Scholz in Washington**
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is set to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House to discuss providing additional military aid to Ukraine. Germany is producing Leopard tanks expected to be the backbone of a new armored force for Ukraine when they arrive in Kyiv this year. Some Western allies have criticized Scholz for taking a cautious public stance regarding arming Ukraine, despite overseeing a dramatic shift in his country's policy, which was the largest purchaser of Russian energy until the eve of the war.
Washington is expected to announce its latest military aid package to Ukraine worth $400 million, primarily consisting of ammunition and armored vehicles. The United States has provided approximately $32 billion worth of weapons to Ukraine since the invasion began. A senior administration official mentioned that Biden and Scholz might also discuss concerns over the possibility of China aiding Russia by supplying lethal weapons. U.S. officials and other sources have indicated that the Biden administration is consulting close allies about imposing new sanctions on China if it offers military support to Russia. China has denied seeking to provide such support, and U.S. officials have not disclosed evidence to support their suspicions.
In response to questions from reporters about the possibility of discussing sanctions against China between Biden and Scholz, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby stated, "The issue of third-party support for Russia may be raised." It is believed that tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians and soldiers on both sides have been killed since Russia invaded its pro-Western neighbor a year ago. Moscow, claiming to have annexed nearly one-fifth of Ukraine's territory, accuses Kyiv of posing a security threat. Ukraine and its allies argue that the invasion was an unjustified war of land acquisition.
On the sidelines of a G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting in India, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken briefly met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov face-to-face for the first time since the invasion. U.S. officials reported that Blinken urged Lavrov to end the war and called on Moscow to reverse its suspension of participation in the last remaining arms control agreement between the two countries. In his speech at a forum in the Indian capital today, Blinken emphasized that Russia must not be allowed to act with impunity after launching a war, as it would send a "message to potential aggressors everywhere that they might also escape consequences."
