The pro-Russian authorities confirmed that it had been taken over by mercenaries from the Wagner Group after the last battle.

MADRID, March 29 (EUROPA PRESS) –

British intelligence services have stressed this Wednesday that the industrial zone of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, located in Donetsk (east), “may continue in dispute”, after pro-Russian authorities in the area confirmed that Russian forces and mercenaries from the Wagner Group had taken control of it. .

“Russian media indicated on March 26 that the Wagner Group had taken full control of the AZOM complex, north of the central city of Bakhmut,” they wrote, before indicating that “the area may still be under dispute, the same as for the last two weeks”, according to a series of messages. issued by the British Ministry of Defense through its account on the social network Twitter.

As such, they have stated that “now that Wagner Group has confirmed the release of at least 5,000 prisoners who fought in its ranks, personnel shortages could affect Russian offensive efforts in this sector”, while pointing out that “Russian offensives are still at a reduced rate compared to recent weeks.” “.

“One of the main achievements of the recent Ukrainian operation may have been the expulsion of the Wagner Group fighters from route 0506,” they explained. “This minor local road had become the main supply route for the Ukrainian defenders. Wagner’s group was within a few hundred meters of the route,” they said.

The British Intelligence agency’s assessment came a day after the leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushilin, indicated in a statement to Russian journalist Vladimir Soloviov that “there has been a major clean-up in the industrial zone of the AZOM factory”. “They annihilate the militants, isolated groups are left alone,” he said, referring to the operations of the Wagner Group, which belongs to Yevgeni Prigozhin, an oligarch close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.