Skip to content

News Feed

4:11 AM
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin criticized those endorsing "an American retreat from responsibility" at the Reagan National Defense Forum, emphasizing the necessity for consistent U.S. leadership to contribute to a world that remains as safe, free, and prosperous as possible.
2:29 AM
Russian forces shelled seven areas in northeastern Sumy Oblast on Dec. 2, the local military administration reported on Telegram. At least 22 strikes were recorded in the oblast over the past 24 hours.
Ukraine Daily
News from
Ukraine in your
inbox
5:22 PM
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on Dec. 2 that it had requested Ukraine's parliament cancel the permission of lawmaker and ex-President Petro Poroshenko to exit the country due to a planned meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Poroshenko claimed that the cancellation was for political reasons and hinted that the decision came from high up.
MORE NEWS
Edit post

Wagner forces claim Russian capture of Blahodatne near Bakhmut, Ukraine denies

by The Kyiv Independent news desk January 29, 2023 1:09 PM 2 min read
This audio is created with AI assistance

Russia has claimed to have captured the village of Blahodatne in Donetsk Oblast, implying a successful crossing of a strategic river and a significant step towards the encirclement of the embattled city of Bakhmut.

Photos circulated on social media on Jan. 29 showing Wagner mercenaries in front of a sign reading Blahodatne.

The Wagner Group said on its Telegram that its units had taken control of Blahodatne, Reuters reported. In a message on the morning of Jan 29, the press service of Wagner head Yevgenii Prigozhin said that Wagner troops had reached the southern edge of the village.

In its morning briefing on Jan. 29, the Ukrainian General Staff said earlier they had repelled Russian attacks in Blahodatne, effectively a denial of Russia's claims.

Photo shared by Wagner Group-affiliated Telegram channels allegedly showing Russian troops on the southern edge of Blahodatne in Donetsk Oblast on Jan. 29, 2023.

A small village on the highway between the front-line cities of Bakhmut and Siversk, Blahodatne is located just across the Bakhmutka River from the salt-mining town of Soledar, which Russia completed the capture of in mid-January after a brutal assault that left the town entirely destroyed.

Having taken the village of Klishchiivka south of Bakhmut over the past week, further Russian progress past Soledar puts increasing pressure on Ukrainian communication and supply lines into Bakhmut itself.

Kremlin proxies in Donetsk Oblast claimed on Jan. 27 that Russian forces were inching toward capturing the strategic town of Vuhledar, 100 kilometers further south on the Donetsk Oblast front line. Both Ukraine and independent analysts have refuted these claims, saying that Moscow was “exaggerating” its progress in the area.

The Wagner Group is Russia’s most high-profile mercenary group and was founded by Prigozhin, a Russian oligarch, Putin confidant, and a former convict.

Along with the Russian military, the group has taken part in the battles for Soledar and Bakhmut in eastern Donetsk Oblast. Wagner is known for its human rights abuses all over the world.

Ukraine war latest: Zelensky warns Russia 'building up strength' to prepare for 'revenge'
Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight.
Freedom can be costly. Both Ukraine and its journalists are paying a high price for their independence. Support independent journalism in its darkest hour. Support us for as little as $1, and it only takes a minute.
visa masterCard americanExpress

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe

Please, enter correct email address

Subscribe

* indicates required
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.