DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Russia denies Ukraine has retaken Andriivka, Ukraine posts video of fighting
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The commander of Ukraine's land forces posted a video purporting to show the capture of Andriivka amid a landscape of scorched territory and devastation. The account of fighting by Russia's Defence Ministry said its troops were still holding at least two key villages south of Bakhmut, known in Russia by its Soviet-era name, Artyomovsk. Things are hot in Klishchiivka and Kurdiumivka," Maliar said on Telegram, referring to two other villages near the city. Maliar also reported that Russian forces had unsuccessfully tried to push through Ukrainian defences near two villages northwest of Bakhmut. Ukraine hopes to sever a land bridge Russia has created between annexed Crimea and territory it holds in the east.

Persons: Oleksandr Syrskyi, Hanna Maliar, Maliar, Ron Popeski, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Ukrainian Armed Forces Press, REUTERS Acquire, Saturday, Russia's Defence Ministry, Donetsk People's, Staff, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukrainian, Donetsk Region, Ukraine, Russia, Bakhmut, Andriivka, Artyomovsk, Donetsk, Donetsk People's Republic, Klishchiivka, Azov, Crimea

☆ Russia Denies Ukraine Has Retaken Village of Andriivka, Near Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Russia on Saturday denied a Ukrainian claim to have recaptured the devastated eastern village of Andriivka, a stepping stone on the way to the town of Bakhmut. Andriivka lies south of largely-ruined Bakhmut, a mainly symbolic prize that Russian forces seized in May after the fiercest and longest battle since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The Ukrainian General Staff on Friday also reported "partial success" near Klishchiivka, also south of Bakhmut. Reuters was unable to verify the battlefield reports. (Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Kevin Liffey; Editing by Mark Potter)

Persons: Kevin Liffey, Mark Potter Organizations: Reuters, Saturday, Donetsk People's, Ukrainian, Staff Locations: Russia, Andriivka, Bakhmut, Artyomovsk, Donetsk, Donetsk People's Republic, Klishchiivka, Ukraine

This is how Komsomolskaya School Number 1 is marking the opening of a new school desk, a so-called “hero desk” emblazoned with the face and biography of one of Russia’s war dead, once a pupil at this very school. The desks are part of a pan-Russian initiative called the “New School Project” and are funded by “United Russia,” a staunchly pro-Putin party. As of early May, United Russia said there were more than 14,000 desks in 9,000 schools across the country. Local news reports suggest some schools use the desks to reward good behavior or good grades. The desks across the country are standardized: green, with military photographs, a biography, medals awarded (often posthumously) and the soldier’s date of death.

Persons: It’s, ”, Gennady Alexandrovich Pavlov, Chuvashia, Gennady Pavlov, Russia’s, Daniil Ken, ” Ken, Sergei Shoigu, Ken, Alena Arshinova, Olga, Sergey Kravtsov, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, there’s, “, ‘, Tatyana Chervenko, Chervenko, Mikhail Stepanov, ’, Stepanov, Wagner, “ Artyomovsk Organizations: CNN, New, “ United, Putin, Teachers ’ Alliance, Russian Ministry of Defense, State Duma, United, Kyiv, Russian, Russia’s Security, Novosti, Ministry Locations: Russian, Chuvashia, Russia, “ United Russia, United Russia, Ukraine, Hostomel, Kyiv, United States, State, St . Petersburg, Simferopol, Crimea, “, Leningrad, ”, Moscow, Virginia, Khabarovsk, Russia’s, Ukrainian, Bakhmut

☆ Ukrainian forces suffer ‘stiff resistance’ and losses in assault on Russian lines
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Jim Sciutto | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Ukrainian forces have suffered losses in heavy equipment and soldiers as they met greater than expected resistance from Russian forces in their first attempt to breach Russian lines in the east of the country in recent days, two senior US officials tell CNN. One US official described the losses – which include US supplied MRAP armored personnel vehicles as “significant.”Ukrainian forces managed to overrun some Russian forces in the east around Bakhmut. Today is a successful day for our forces.”Both US officials say the losses are not expected to impact the larger planned Ukrainian counteroffensive. Russian Ministry of Defense claimed Wednesday that the Ukrainian offensive close to Bakhmut was “thwarted”. The enemy was destroyed.”Moscow often inflates claims regarding Ukrainian losses on the battlefield.

Persons: Hanna Maliar, ” Maliar, Bakhmut, ”, Volodymyr Zelensky, Dmitry Peskov Organizations: CNN, Ukrainian, Russian Ministry of Defense, Armed Forces of, Wall Street, NATO, Kyiv ” Locations: Bakhmut, Ukrainian, Western, Armed Forces of Ukraine, South Donetsk, Donetsk, Artyomovsk, Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, Dnipro, Kherson, Ukraine’s, “, Crimea

MOSCOW, May 28 (Reuters) - Russia's most powerful mercenary said on Sunday he was convinced that senior Kremlin officials had banned reporting about him on state media, cautioning that such a misleading approach would lead to a backlash from the Russian people within months. Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner mercenary group, is the most striking member of President Vladimir Putin's circle to gain widespread notoriety in the 15-month war in Ukraine. In a sign of just how far Prigozhin is perceived to have breached the taboos of Putin's Russia, state television ignored the fall of Bakhmut for 20 hours, and did not air Prigozhin's victory speech. Asked about what appeared to be a ban on coverage of him on state media, Prigozhin used a series of Russian proverbs to poke fun at those responsible: "What is forbidden is always sweeter." After Prigozhin claimed victory on Bakhmut, it took the Kremlin 10 hours to release a 36-word statement congratulating Wagner and armed forces units for "liberating" Artyomovsk, the Soviet-era name for Bakhmut used by Russia.

☆ Ukraine says it advances on Bakhmut's flanks to entrap Russians
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Olena Harmash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Moscow says capturing Bakhmut now opens the way to further advances in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine says its advance on the Russian forces' flanks was more meaningful than its withdrawal inside the city, and Russian reinforcements sent to hold Bakhmut will weaken Moscow's lines elsewhere. Ukrainian forces were still advancing, particularly south of Bakhmut, Maliar said, though she said the intensity of fighting on the northern flank had subsided for now. "Wagner Group mercenaries likely secured the western administrative borders of Bakhmut City while Ukrainian forces are continuing to prioritise counterattacks on Bakhmut’s outskirts," the Institute for the Study of War think tank said on Monday. In the latest Russian attack, some 15 blasts were heard overnight in the southern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, a frequent Russian target lately.

☆ Putin says battle for Bakhmut is over, thanks Wagner mercenaries and Russian army
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, May 21 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday congratulated the Wagner mercenary force and the Russian army for what he called the "liberation" of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, which Russia calls by its Soviet-era name of Artyomovsk. In a statement published on the Kremlin website, Putin said that the battle - the longest and bloodiest of the 15-month war - had ended in a Russian victory, and that all those who had excelled in it on Moscow's side would be given state awards. "The Head of State congratulated Wagner's assault groups, as well as all members of the units of the Russian Armed Forces who provided them with the necessary support and cover on their flanks, on the completion of the operation to liberate Artyomovsk (Bakhmut)," the statement said. "All those who distinguished themselves will be presented with state awards," it said. Reporting by Reuters Editing by Andrew OsbornOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ukraine claims foothold in part of Bakhmut, aims to encircle city
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A top Ukrainian general said Kyiv's forces controlled what he accepted was an "insignificant" part of Bakhmut, but said the foothold would be enough to enter the devastated city when the situation changed. Maliar added Ukrainian troops were still defending industrial and infrastructure facilities as well as a private sector of the city and had claimed part of the overlooking heights. Moscow has long claimed that capturing Bakhmut would be a stepping stone towards advancing deeper into the Donbas region it claims to have annexed from Ukraine. The Russian defence ministry said its forces had also destroyed a road bridge previously used by Ukrainian forces to reinforce Bakhmut as well as a Ukrainian ammunition warehouse. Biden said F-16s would not have helped Ukrainian forces with regard to Bakhmut but could "make a big difference in terms of being able to deal with what is coming down the road".

☆ Russia says Ukrainian city of Bakhmut captured
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Maxar satellite imagery comparing the before/after destruction of the Bakhmut high school and homes in Bakhmut, Ukraine. Russia claimed on Saturday to have fully captured the smashed eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, which would mark an end to the longest and bloodiest battle of the 15-month war. Taking Bakhmut — which Russia refers to by its Soviet-era name of Artyomovsk — would represent Moscow's first big victory in the conflict in more than 10 months. The claims came after a week in which Ukrainian forces have made their most rapid gains for six months on Bakhmut's northern and southern flanks. Ukrainian military spokesperson Serhiy Cherevatyi, reacting to Prigozhin's comments before Russia's announcement, had told Reuters: "This is not true.

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskyy denies that Bakhmut is occupied by Russian forces
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Her comments came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at the Group of Seven summit in Japan, appeared to suggest that Bakhmut had fallen. And the spokesman for Ukraine's Eastern Group of Forces, Serhii Cherevaty, said that the Ukrainian military is managing to hold positions in the vicinity of Bakhmut. Russian forces still seek to seize the remaining part of the Donetsk region still under Ukrainian control, including several heavily fortified areas. Prigozhin tried to use the battle for the city to expand his clout amid the tensions with the top Russian military leaders whom he harshly criticized. "We fought not only with the Ukrainian armed forces in Bakhmut.

☆ Russia says its troops have taken full control of Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

May 20 (Reuters) - Russian troops have taken control of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, the Russian defence ministry said on Saturday, which if true would mark an end to a ferocious and bloody battle that raged for months. The head of the Wagner Group of Russian mercenaries reported the capture of Bakhmut earlier in the day. Russia refers to the city by its Soviet-era name of Artyomovsk. "As a result of offensive actions by Wagner assault units, supported by artillery and aviation of the Southern Group of Forces, the liberation of Artyomovsk has been completed," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement. Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Cynthia OstermanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Explainer: How important is Wagner's claimed capture of Bakhmut?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/4] A general view shows a building damaged by a Russian military strike, amid their attack on Ukraine, in the front line city of Bakhmut, in Donetsk region, Ukraine February 27, 2023. REUTERS/Alex... Read moreLONDON, May 20 (Reuters) - Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Saturday that his Wagner fighters had completed the capture of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut after months of intense fighting, a claim denied by Ukraine. Zelenskiy portrayed "Fortress Bakhmut" as a symbol of defiance which he said was bleeding the Russian military dry. If confirmed, Bakhmut would be Russia's first major capture since July last year and a morale-boosting battlefield win after a string of defeats. The city's capture would be a boost for Russia's most high-profile mercenaries - Wagner - and their publicity-hungry founder Prigozhin.

☆ Russia's Prigozhin says Bakhmut will not fall in next two days
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, May 19 (Reuters) - Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Friday that the city of Bakhmut was unlikely to fall to his mercenary forces in the next two days as fighting raged around Ukrainian soldiers holed up in a makeshift "fortress" in the south of the city. The Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, known in Russia by its Soviet-era name of Artyomovsk, is in ruins after months of intense fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces who call it the "meat grinder". "Bakhmut has still not been taken," Prigozhin said in a voice message posted on Telegram. "Bakhmut is unlikely to be taken either tomorrow or the day after tomorrow." Russia has been trying to capture Bakhmut since last summer in the longest and bloodiest battle of the war, but Ukrainian defenders have held out.

CNN —The leader of the Russian private military company Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, claimed a US citizen died in the embattled Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, in a video posted on the Wagner Telegram group on Tuesday. A pro-Kremlin military blogger, Alexander Simonov, introduces the video saying “we are advancing to the advanced positions of the PMC Wagner in the western regions of Artyomovsk,” the Russian name for Bakhmut. The video is filmed at night with the sound of an apparent mortar attack. Mortar attacks from the western side.”Prigozhin is shown inspecting a body, and what he claims are US identification documents. CNN cannot verify the authenticity of the documents and cannot confirm the nationality of the body shown in the video.

☆ The Ukraine war is driving a wedge between Moscow and its mercenaries — and the Kremlin knows it
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The war in Ukraine looks to have created deep and lasting tensions between Russia's leadership in Moscow and its mercenary fighters on the ground, with acrimony between the two descending into openly hostile criticism and accusations of treachery this week. Prigozhin said his mercenary forces, making up the bulk of Russians fighting to seize Bakhmut, would remain there for a "few more days" to see if the situation would change. Prigozhin's very public criticism of Russia's military leadership this week has made it impossible for the Kremlin to ignore, despite its de-facto position being to remain tight-lipped about internal matters. "Emotions are boiling over there," Peskov told a Bosnian Serb television channel ATV on Wednesday, in comments translated by Google. We have no doubt that Artyomovsk [Russia's name for Bakhmut] will be brought under control, that it will be determined later," he said.

☆ Russian mercenary chief says he's still not getting enough shells for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 10 (Reuters) - Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin complained on Wednesday that his Wagner fighters were still not getting enough shells from the defence ministry to underpin what he said was their advance in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. "We're not receiving enough shells, we're only getting 10% (of what we need)," Prigozhin, whose forces have been spearheading the assault on Bakhmut despite taking heavy losses, said in the statement. Prigozhin said that the Russian leadership had asked the defence ministry to check the status of Wagner's shell request, but that bureaucracy meant the process was a slow one. There was no immediate comment on his latest assertions from the defence ministry while the Kremlin earlier on Wednesday said it had not seen a public appeal for more shells that Prigozhin had made on May 9. Prigozhin said the target of his anger remained the same however - the army's top brass.

☆ Russia says Wagner fighters seize two more parts of Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Smoke is seen in this drone footage of Bakhmut amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in this screen grab obtained from a handout video released on April 15, 2023. Adam Tactic Group/Handout via REUTERSMOSCOW, April 15 (Reuters) - Fighters of Russia's Wagner mercenary group have captured two more areas of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, Russia's Defence Ministry said on Saturday. "Wagner assault units successfully advanced, capturing two areas on the northern and southern outskirts of the city," it said. The statement said Russian army paratroop units were supporting the claimed advance by holding back Ukrainian forces on the flanks. Wagner has spearheaded Russia's attempt to take Bakhmut since last summer in what has been the longest and deadliest battle of the war for both sides.

☆ Russian forces advance in Ukraine's Bakhmut - Russian-installed leader
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, March 28 (Reuters) - Russian forces are moving forward in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut despite fierce resistance and have almost taken full control of a metals plant there, a Russian-installed leader in the region said. His assertion ran counter to Ukrainian and Western descriptions of the situation in the city, which they have said is stabilising as a Russian offensive falters. "The (Wagner) guys are moving forward, of course they are moving forward, though it takes their hardest efforts to do that," Pushilin told state TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov. British military intelligence has said that the Russian assault has stalled, mainly as a result of heavy troop losses. Ukrainian military commanders have said their own counter offensive - backed by newly-delivered Western hardware - is not far off, but have stressed the importance of holding Bakhmut in the meantime.

☆ No signs Ukraine is withdrawing troops from Bakhmut - Russian-installed official
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 16 (Reuters) - The situation for Russian forces trying to capture the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut is "difficult", because there are no signs Kyiv is ready to order a withdrawal of its troops, the Russian-installed leader of Ukraine's Donetsk region said on Thursday. "The situation in Artyomovsk remains complex and difficult," Denis Pushilin, the Russian-installed head of Ukraine's Donetsk region, said in an interview on state TV on Thursday. "That is, we do not see that there is any premise that the enemy is going to simply withdraw units," he added. Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin has said his forces are in control of practically half the city and only one exit road remains available to Ukraine. Reporting by Caleb Davis; Writing by Jake Cordell; editing by Guy FaulconbridgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Explainer: Bakhmut: Why Russia and Ukraine are battling so hard for one small city
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Yet Russia and Ukraine are still battling for the small city of Bakhmut. After nearly eight months of trench warfare Ukrainian forces are surrounded on three sides, Kyiv's supply lines are fraying, and Moscow is in control of just under half of Bakhmut. Volodymr Zelenskiy, Ukraine's president, has portrayed "Fortress Bakhmut" as a symbol of defiance which is bleeding the Russian military dry. It also claims to be decimating Ukrainian forces. A regional transport and logistics hub, Bakhmut would be useful for Russian forces although that depends on how much of its infrastructure is intact.

☆ Russian mercenary chief sets out ambitions for an 'army with an ideology'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MOSCOW, March 12 (Reuters) - The head of Russia's Wagner mercenary force said in an interview published over the weekend that he had ambitions to turn his private military company into an "army with an ideology" that would fight for justice in Russia. "After the capture of Artyomovsk (Bakhmut), we will begin to reboot," Prigozhin said in a clip posted on Telegram channels associated with Wagner. "The Wagner private military group must turn from just a private, the best, army in the world which is capable of defending the state, into an army with an ideology. But his public profile, political influence, and fondness for profanely lambasting top army brass and anyone else in his way has angered some in government who want him reined in. Prigozhin has repeatedly denied harbouring any political ambitions.

☆ Russian mercenary chief says Ukraine's Bakhmut is practically surrounded
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of Russia's Wagner mercenary force, speaks in Paraskoviivka, Ukraine in this still image from an undated video released on March 3, 2023. "Units of the private military company Wagner have practically surrounded Bakhmut. Only one road is left (open to Ukrainian forces) The pincers are getting tighter," said Prigozhin. Reuters geolocated the video to the village of Paraskoviivka, 4.3 miles (7 km) north of the centre of Bakhmut. Reuters geolocated the footage to the east of Bakhmut, around 1.2 miles (2 km) from the city centre.

☆ Mercenary leader Prigozhin says Russia faces resistance in taking Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Prigozhin, an entrepreneur and restaurateur, has attracted attention as fighting raged in this campaign. "Bakhmut is needed so our troops can operate comfortably," Prigozhin said. Ukrainian troops are well trained ... and like any large city it is impossible to capture it from head-on. Military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said the situation around Bakhmut probably remained the most difficult sector faced by Ukraine's forces as Russia deploys more and more conscripts. "The area south of Bakhmut is a very difficult sector," Zhdanov said in an online interview.

☆ Russia claims progress in Bakhmut, Ukraine says fighting fierce
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The enemy is increasing pressure on the Bakhmut and Vuhledar areas," Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister, Hanna Maliar, said on the Telegram messaging app. The area around Bakhmut, with a pre-war population of 70,000, has seen some of the most brutal fighting of the 11-month-old war. The town has symbolic importance for both Russia and Ukraine, though Western military analysts say it has little strategic significance. "Fighting is already taking place in the outskirts and in neighbourhoods that until very recently were held by the enemy." Ukraine's Maliar said that in the overall eastern industrial region known as the Donbas, Ukraine had superior and more committed soldiers, while Russia had an advantage in terms of the number of fighters and weapons.

☆ Wagner boss wants Bakhmut for its 'underground cities'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of Russia's Wagner mercenary group which is fighting in the battle of Bakhmut, set out in detail on Saturday why he thought its capture would be significant. "The cherry on the cake is the system of Soledar and Bakhmut mines, which is actually a network of underground cities. His comments were a reference to vast salt and other mines in the area which contain more than 100 miles of tunnels and a vast underground room which has hosted football matches and classical music concerts in more peaceful times. Prigozhin, who is sanctioned in the West, cited other advantages of taking Bakhmut, calling it "a serious logistics centre" with unique defensive fortifications. Bakhmut, which Russia calls Artyomovsk, is the focus of the most intense fighting in Ukraine, and Prigozhin made his comments as another Telegram channel associated with Wagner claimed Russia had captured a strategically-important settlement on Bakhmut's outskirts.

Search resuls for: "Artyomovsk"

25 mentions found