Video Shows Ukrainian Troops Fighting on the Destroyed Streets of Bakhmut

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Ukraine’s military has released a video it says shows the extent of destruction in Bakhmut after months of fighting.

The clip on the Facebook page of the Ukrainian armed forces shows troops periodically opening fire as they walk through rubble and the wrecked remains of the Donetsk town.

Buildings can be seen with burnt-out floors, while also evident are smashed windows and the debris of months of the battle fought between Ukrainian troops and Russian forces, spearheaded by the Wagner Group of mercenaries, which are led by Yevgeny Prigozhin.

“No video shot in Bakhmut will fully convey what is really happening in the city, what titanic efforts our soldiers are making to protect it, and what they really feel in hell, which was once one of the most beautiful cities in Donetsk region,” said the post next to the clip, according to a translation.

It prompted comments in Ukrainian such as “God watch over our defenders”, “God bless you and Ukraine” and “Let all enemies of Ukraine burn.” The video has not been independently verified. Newsweek has contacted the Russian Foreign Ministry for comment.

Ukrainian military of 108th Separate Mountain Assault Battalion pictured on May 13, 2023 in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. Ukraine’s military has released video it says shows the extent of destruction in Bakhmut after months of fighting.
Yan Dobronosov/Getty Images

It comes as the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported that Ukrainian troops controlled less than a kilometer of the city, although this has not been independently verified.

Serhii Cherevatyi, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Eastern Operational Command, reported on Saturday that in addition to Wagner troops, Moscow was sending airborne and motorized rifle units.

He said that Russia was seeking “some kind of trophy” for its efforts in capturing the city that has cost a huge number of troops. He said that over the previous day, 92 Russian troops were killed and 156 wounded during 17 skirmishes near the city.

British defense officials had said that Moscow had probably redeployed several battalions to the Bakhmut sector following Ukrainian successes at its flanks. This showed a renewed determination from Moscow to claim some kind of success.

Separately, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko condemned on Saturday the decision by the U.S. to allow Western countries to give F-16 jets to Ukraine, and assist with training.

He said that the West was following an “escalation scenario,” regarding the aircraft, which Kyiv has long called for.

Also on Saturday, leaders of the G7 countries meeting in Hiroshima, Japan, described Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine as a “serious violation of international law.”

A communique issued by the group said that Moscow’s “brutal war of aggression” was a threat to the world and a “breach of fundamental norms, rules, and principles of the international community.”

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