Unusual visit of the Russian Defense Minister to his troops, in the midst of the fight for Bakhmut

It is not usual for senior Russian military commanders to make public appearances, which is why the visit of the Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, in the south of Donetsk, to assess the state of the troops on the battlefront and award decorations, is striking. , just at a time of high tension in the city of Bakhmut, in the same region. City that has been attacked by the Russians insistently with the interest of showing a victory in this war.

According to the statement from the portfolio, the Army general “inspected one of the units of the ‘East’ group, in the south of Donetsk, during its activities in the area of ​​the special military operation.”

In a video published by the Ministry, Shoigu is seen handing out medals to Russian military personnel and touring a city in ruins with the group’s commander-in-chief, Rustam Muradov.

During the brief ceremony, the Minister of Defense told the soldiers that the award is “well deserved” because “they are fighting with dignity.” “There is still a lot of work ahead. I really hope that you continue to serve our country faithfully. Good luck, success, and of course, come home alive,” he added.

The minister’s office did not specify when the meeting took place or its exact location, what is clear is that he has barely made three visits to the front in recent months.

Shoigu, a confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin and defense minister since 2012, has come under harsh criticism at home for his handling of the invasion of Ukraine. Even the head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, a key force in the war started by Russia, has accused a lack of support from the Russian authorities.

Ukrainian forces under increasing Russian pressure in Bakhmut

The center of the conflict is now in Bakhmut, a city in the Donetsk region, the scene of bloody battles for several weeks. City that has been constantly in the headlines, of the news related to the war, in the same way as Melitopol and kyiv.

In its daily bulletin posted on Twitter, British military intelligence said Ukrainian forces are “under increasingly severe pressure” from Russian forces, with “heavy fighting in and around the city.”

The report explains that the Russian Army and its allies in the Wagner group have made progress in the northern suburbs, and that two key bridges have been destroyed in the past 36 hours. Among them, the one that connected Bakhmut with the city of Chasiv Yar, which further limits the resupply possibilities of the Ukrainian forces.

Even so, the Ukrainian military leadership is not resigned to losing control of the city and reinforced the area with the presence of elite units.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military command reported that in the last few hours they managed to repel Russian offensives in Bakhmut and in the villages of Ivanivske and Bohdanivka, which are now decisive in avoiding a total Russian siege.

For Moscow, capturing Bakhmut, after a protracted seven-month battle, would give it a first major success in its costly offensive and, according to the Kremlin, would be the springboard for advancing control of the Donbass.

Hence, on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky stated that “no one will hand over Bakhmut.” “We will fight as long as we can. We consider Bakhmut our strength,” he stressed.

02:22

Brussels and Washington determined to investigate alleged Russian war crimes

This Saturday, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, highlighted the signing of the agreement to install the Center for the Prosecution of Crimes of Aggression against Ukraine in The Hague, which will be in charge of collecting evidence for future trials.

This new structure is independent of the International Criminal Court (ICC), a court competent to investigate war crimes but whose jurisdiction is not recognized by Moscow, which prevents it from initiating investigations into alleged Russian crimes in Ukraine.

The Center will join the Investigative Group of Eurojust, the European Union’s justice agency, in investigating international crimes in Ukraine.

“There is increasing evidence of direct attacks on civilians, as well as energy and other infrastructure. Russian forces are known to have committed torture, ill-treatment, sexual violence, and summary executions. Even children are not spared.” said Von der Leyen, while maintaining that “Russia has to be held accountable.”

The United States Attorney General, Merrick Garland, expressed himself in the same vein, who on Friday made a surprise visit to the Ukrainian city of Lviv and stated that “we will do everything in our power to achieve the accountability that true justice requires “.

The US Department of Justice added that Garland signed a memorandum of understanding with the Joint Investigative Team (JIT) investigating Russian war crimes in the country.

Apart from the request for investigations, the United States on Friday extended another show of support for Ukraine in the military sphere. Following a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, President Joe Biden announced that he will allocate an additional $400 million in military aid.

This new package mainly includes ammunition for Himars rocket launch systems, Bradley-type armored vehicles and other US equipment that was delivered to the Ukrainian forces.

With EFE, Reuters and AFP