Ukraine, Ukrainian war: Russian troops filmed fleeing Bakhmut in counter attack

Incredible footage shows a wave of Ukrainian soldiers climbing out of trenches and advancing on Russian positions in a World War One-style assault.

The boss of the Wagner Group mercenaries, Yevgeny Prigozhin, admitted Ukrainian forces had managed to retake Berkhivka,The Sunreports.

He blasted the victory as a “disgrace” – and urged Vladimir Putin’s top military chiefs to go to the frontline and see the failure for themselves.

Prigozhin’s soldiers claimed to have finally captured Bakhmut last month after the longest and bloodiest battle of the war.

They then handed over the devastated city to the regular Russian army.

But Kyiv’s troops have pushed back Russian lines to the north and south of the city – including in Berkhivka, which lies about 3km northwest of battered Bakhmut.

Prigozhin fumed: “Now part of the settlement of Berkhivka has already been lost, the troops are quietly running away. Disgrace!”

Denis Pushilin, the Moscow-backed governor of the Donetsk region, which includes Bakhmut, told Russian state TV the situation on the city’s flanks was “under control” but “very difficult”.

Prigozhin urged Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and the chief of the general staff, Valery Gerasimov, to make their way to the front to rally the troops.

“Come on, you can do it!” he said in his message.

“And if you can’t, you’ll die heroes.”

Speaking on Monday, the chief of Ukraine’s ground forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said his forces continue “moving forward” near Bakhmut.

And Hanna Maliar, the deputy Minister of Ukraine’s defence ministry, said the Ukrainian army is advancing along a wide front.

She said: “The defensive operation includes everything, including counteroffensive actions. Therefore, in some areas we are moving to offensive actions.

“The Bakhmut direction remains the epicentre of hostilities. There we are moving along a fairly wide front.

“We are successful. We occupy the dominant heights. The enemy is on the defensive, he wants to hold his position.”

Drone footage shared by Syrskyi shows Ukrainian tanks destroying Russian positions in Bakhmut as Putin’s troops flee.

Last month, Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade launched a surprise attack using tanks and armoured infantry to smash through Putin’s front lines.

They advanced 1km across farmland south of Bakhmut in the first major gains for months.

Footage showed assault squads clearing bunkers with hand grenades as a tank charged into a wood, sending Russian soldiers fleeing.

According to war blogger War Gonzo, Ukraine has also advanced two kilometres in the town of Novodonetske near Vuhledar – around 160km southwest of Bakhmut.

Wagner’s Prigozhin has previously blasted Russian troops for “p***ing away” his hard won gains.

It comes as Russia claimed it pushed back a “large-scale offensive” by Ukrainian forces in Donetsk on Sunday.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether the reported attack marked the start of the major Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Ukraine, Ukrainian recently said there would be no official announcement on the start of its counter-strike.

Kyiv has been promising to unleash a spring offensive for months – hoping to take back territory lost since Putin invaded in February last year.

Russia’s defence ministry claimed Ukraine launched an attack on Sunday with six mechanised and two tank battalions in southern Donetsk – one of four Ukrainian areas Russia annexed in September.

And Putin’s forces claimed they killed 250 Ukrainian soldiers and wiped out 16 tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles and 21 armoured combat vehicles during the battle.

Although Ukraine didn’t confirm the assault, it suggested the Russian reports were part of a misinformation campaign.

Ukraine, Ukrainian often waits until the completion of its military operations to confirm its actions.

Zelensky made no mention of the alleged attack in his video address on Sunday night.

This story appeared in The Sun and is reproduced with permission.