Ukraine updates: Russia 'lying' about Bakhmut, Wagner says
Story by dw.com • Friday
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Russian regular army was fleeing its positions near Bakhmut, the head of Wagner mercenary group said, accusing Moscow's military leadership of downplaying the situation around the Ukrainian town. DW has the latest.

Smoke rises from buildings in this aerial view of Bakhmut, the site of the heaviest battles in the Donetsk region© Libkos/AP Photo/picture alliance
The head of Russia's private Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin on Friday said Moscow's regular army was fleeing its positions near the eastern Ukraine hotspot town of Bakhmut.
"The units of the defense ministry simply went fleeing from the flanks" of Bakhmut, Prigozhin said, adding that "the flanks are failing, the front is collapsing" in that area.
He also accused Moscow's military leadership of downplaying the situation around the embattled Ukrainian town. "Attempts by the defense ministry in the information field to sugar coat the situation — it's leading and will lead to a global tragedy for Russia. For this reason, we must stop lying immediately," Prigozhin said.
Earlier on Friday, Russian Defense Ministry said that its forces had repelled a surge of attempted Ukrainian attacks against its positions in eastern Ukraine and indicated that its forces had fallen back a bit in one area for tactical reasons.
The ministry said in a statement that Ukraine had deployed more than a thousand troops and up to 40 tanks in 26 attempted attacks across a frontline extending over 95 kilometers. It said the attacks had taken place in the direction of the town of Soledar which is held by Moscow's forces.
The same statement did indicate however that Russian forces had fallen back in one area of the front, taking up what it described as "more favorable positions" near the Berkhivka reservoir northwest of Bakhmut.
Here are some of the other notable developments concerning Russia's war in Ukraine on Friday, May 12: