Today, Russian Ministry of Defense spokesperson Lieutenant General Igor Konoshenkov provided an update on the Wagner group's progress in Bakhmut. Assault units from the Wagner private military company have taken over two neighbourhoods in Bakhmut's northern and southern suburbs. To slow the advance of Russian troops, the remaining Ukrainian troops have purposefully destroyed city infrastructure facilities and residential blocks. The Russian Ministry of Defense did not specify the location of these suburbs, but the northern one is most likely connected to the Village of Kromovo, which is close to Bakhmut.
It's worth noting that the Russian Ministry of Defense is highlighting the Wagner organization's advances in Bakhmut, as this hasn't happened before. This could be due to the increased involvement of regular Russian military forces in the battle. Russian paratroopers are now defending the Wagner forces' flanks as they focus on clearing Bakhmut, and reports indicate that regular army troops are actively involved in the fighting in Bakhmut, playing an even more aggressive supporting role in this battle.
There is footage of a T90M tank, Russia's most advanced operational tank, operating in Bakhmut. While Wagner has its own tanks, it is not known to operate T90Ms, implying that Russian regular army armoured units may be present in Bakhmut, providing fire support to the Wagner organization's assault troops. This suggests that Wagner has strong support from some elements of Russia's military and political leadership.
Source:
Alexander Mercouris, 17 April 2023, "Russia Captures 2 Bakhmut Districts, Prigozhin Claims Bakhmut Ground Ukraine Army Down",
