Wagner mercenaries in the Bakhmut area have to be replaced by soldiers of the Russian army. A large part of the Wagner PMC members have been destroyed by the Ukrainian military, Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar has said on the air of the national telethon.
"The Russians are forced to make this replacement because most of the Wagner units were destroyed by our Armed Forces. They are forced to do this now," she said.
At the same time, she pointed out that the regular army of the Russian Federation is demotivated, unlike mercenaries who are motivated by money. According to her, the situation in Bakhmut is "tense and complicated" because the Russians outnumber Ukrainian defenders, but their losses are much higher than those of Ukrainian soldiers.
The situation in the area of Bakhmut is extremely tense, according to earlier reports. Despite significant losses, the Russian Federation has sent the most trained assault units of the Wagner PMC into the offensive, said Ground Troops Commander Oleksandr Syrskyy.