Free Republic

Ukrainian military commanders said on Wednesday that their troops had broken through Russian positions on the southern flank of the embattled eastern city of Bakhmut, forcing Russian units back from their positions at an important bridgehead of a canal. Ukrainian officials and the head of Russia’s Wagner militia group said that Russian troops had lost an area of roughly three square miles southwest of the city. If confirmed, it would be the first significant gain for Ukraine in the fight for Bakhmut since pushing Russian forces off a key access road two months ago, although it was far from clear...

Russian troops 'ran as fast as they could' as they fled their positions on the frontline in Ukraine, the head of the Wagner mercenary group has claimed in his latest rant targeting the Kremlin's military chiefs. Yevgeny Prigozhin - until now a close ally of Vladimir Putin - savaged the tactics of Russia's war commanders and compared Moscow's forces with a fish that was rotting from the head. And he even threatened to ignore Moscow's warning that he and his men would face treason charges if they abandoned their frontline positions - blaming Russia's defence ministry for failing to supply...