Bakhmut could fall in next few days, says Nato chief; Zelenskiy invites Kevin McCarthy to visit Ukraine
The city of Bakhmut, in Ukraine’s east, could fall in the next few days, said Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg. “What we see is that Russia is throwing more troops, more forces and what Russia lacks in quality they try to make up in quantity. They have suffered big losses, but at the same time, we cannot rule out that Bakhmut may eventually fall in the coming days,” he said.
The founder of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, which has been leading the Russian assault on Bakhmut, has said Russian forces now fully control the east of the city. The claims have not been independently verified. The General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said in its Wednesday morning report: “The enemy, despite significant losses, continues to storm the town of Bakhmut.”
Russia is unlikely to capture significantly more territory this year, according to the US director of national intelligence, Avril Haines. She told a Senate hearing that the military will probably be unable to carry on its current level of fighting, even with the possible capture of Bakhmut.
The Pentagon has been accused of blocking the sharing of US intelligence with the international criminal court (ICC) about Russian war crimes in Ukraine. The defence department is said to be firmly opposed to using the Hague-based ICC, as a means of holding Russian forces accountable for widespread war crimes on the grounds that the precedent could eventually be turned against US soldiers.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has invited top US house speaker Kevin McCarthy to visit Ukraine as doubts over support for Kyiv’s war efforts simmer in Congress, particularly among conservatives. Zelensky proposed the visit in an interview with CNN.
Zelensky has also called for “democratic success” in Georgia where thousands of protesters have rallied for a second day, against a controversial “foreign agent” bill, reminiscent of Russian legislation used to silence critics. “There is no Ukrainian who would not wish success to our friendly Georgia. Democratic success. European success,” he said in his evening address to the nation.
The US obtained a warrant to seize a Boeing aircraft owned by Russian oil company Rosneft that is valued at over $25m, the Justice Department said. The District Court for the Eastern District of New York authorised the seizure, based on violations of export controls and sanctions against Russia, the Justice Department said.
In a visit to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, UN secretary general, António Guterres, told journalists it was “critical” that a deal that allows safe passage for ships carrying grain out of Ukraine across the Black Sea be renewed, with Ukraine traditionally being one of the world’s largest exporters of grain. A senior UN trade official will meet Russian representatives to discuss the extension of the deal.
European Union foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said on Wednesday he had suggested the bloc spend €1bn for the joint procurement of ammunition for Ukraine and to refill their own stockpiles. “I propose to mobilise another €1bn,” Reuters reported he told the media after a meeting of EU defence ministers in Stockholm.
Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg said that it was still uncertain who carried out the attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September last year, and that national investigations needed to be allowed to finish.
German officials announced that they searched a ship in January that they believe many have been used to transport explosives used in the sabotage. Germany has the lead role in the investigation.
Intelligence reviewed by US officials suggested a pro-Ukrainian group carried out the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines in 2022, the New York Times has reported. There was no evidence President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, or his top lieutenants were involved, or that the perpetrators were acting at the direction of any Ukrainian government officials, said the report, citing US officials.
