"Wagnerians" are leaving Bakhmut, - British intelligence
The mercenaries of the "Wagner" PMC probably began to withdraw from their positions around Bakhmut.
This is stated in the British intelligence report published by the British Ministry of Defense, Censor.NET reports.
"It seems that the forces of the Wagner group have begun to withdraw from separate positions around the city of Bakhmut in Donetsk region," the report says.
The intelligence service recalled that on May 25, the owner of PMC Yevgeny Prigozhin announced the beginning of the withdrawal of his mercenaries and that they were going to hand over their positions to the Russian army by June 1. The rotation was also confirmed by the Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine.
The summary states that as of May 24, forces of the so-called "DPR" allegedly entered Bakhmut to begin the cleanup.
In recent weeks, units of the 31st Brigade of the Russian Airborne Forces are believed to have moved from the Svatove-Kreminna area to reinforce the flanks of Bakhmut.
As of May 16, 2023, Ukrainian troops occupied 20 square kilometers on the flanks of Bakhmut. The rotation of Wagner's forces is likely to continue in controlled phases to prevent collapse in the areas around Bakhmut.
"Despite Prigozhin's long-standing feud with the Russian Ministry of Defense, Wagner's forces will likely be used for further offensive operations in the Donbas after recovery," the review says.
