Latest news on Russia and the war in Ukraine
The Russian military has created extensive defenses and fortifications in occupied parts of Ukraine, according to a recent investigation by BBC Verify, a new unit within the broadcaster tasked with investigating and verifying information, videos, and images. The BBC’s analysis of hundreds of satellite images of Ukraine’s southern region showed that Russian troops had installed a significant number of defence structures, including a line of anti-tank ditches and trenches alongside a major highway and dragon’s teeth near the potential area of Ukraine’s counteroffensive. The analysis also found that a 15-mile section of Crimean coastline has been littered with defence structures ahead of Ukraine’s anticipated counteroffensive.
The reportedly extensive defenses echo concerns that have been voiced by British defense analysts in recent weeks. They have warned that Russia’s large-scale defense-building could pose a challenging obstacle for Ukraine to overcome and that observers should not dismiss Russia’s military as incompetent, as it might have been early on in the invasion after past mistakes.
In a separate development on Saturday, the head of Russia’s main mercenary force, the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, claimed that his fighters had captured the town of Bakhmut in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, after nine months of intense fighting. Prigozhin stated that only two Russian Generals, with whom he has a good relationship, had helped in the taking of the town. However, Russia’s Defense Ministry has claimed that its own aviation and artillery units had also played a role in the operation. Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has disputed Prigozhin’s claims, stating that Russia did not occupy Bakhmut, and Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the head of Ukraine’s ground forces, said that his troops still controlled parts of the town.
**FAQs:**
**What is BBC Verify?**
BBC Verify is a new unit within the British broadcaster responsible for investigating and verifying information, videos, and images.
**What have they discovered about Russian defenses in Ukraine?**
BBC Verify analyzed hundreds of satellite images of Ukraine’s southern region and found that Russian troops had installed a significant number of defence structures, including a line of anti-tank ditches and trenches alongside a major highway and dragon’s teeth near the potential area of Ukraine’s counteroffensive. They also discovered that a 15-mile section of Crimean coastline has been littered with defence structures ahead of Ukraine’s anticipated counteroffensive.
**What concerns have been raised by British defense analysts in recent weeks?**
They have warned that Russia’s large-scale defense-building could pose a challenging obstacle for Ukraine to overcome and that observers should not dismiss Russia’s military as incompetent, as it might have been early on in the invasion after past mistakes.
**What has Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed about capturing Bakhmut?**
He said that his Wagner Group mercenaries captured the town after nine months of intense fighting, and that only two Russian Generals, with whom he has a good relationship, had helped in the taking of the town. However, Russia’s Defense Ministry has claimed that its own aviation and artillery units also played a role in the operation. Ukraine’s President has disputed Prigozhin’s claims.
**What is the current situation in Bakhmut?**
Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the head of Ukraine’s ground forces, said that his troops still control parts of the largely ruined town of Bakhmut in Donetsk in the east of the country and that they are not ready to give up. Ukraine’s President also denied that Russia had occupied Bakhmut.
“New Developments on Russia’s Involvement in the Conflict in Ukraine”
An extensive network of Russian defenses and fortifications has been uncovered in occupied parts of Ukraine ahead of the country’s anticipated counteroffensive, according to an investigation by the BBC. Satellite images examined by the broadcaster’s investigative unit, BBC Verify, revealed a 15-mile stretch of the Crimean coastline “littered with defense structures…installed by Russian troops”, along with anti-tank trenches and dragon’s teeth, pyramid-shaped concrete blocks designed to block military vehicles. A line of anti-tank ditches and trenches also now runs parallel to a major highway near the potential site of Ukraine’s counteroffensive, raising fears that the route is heavily mined. The BBC report echoed concerns raised by British defense analysts last week that Russia’s large-scale defense preparations could pose a significant challenge for the Ukrainian army.
Meanwhile, Russia’s main mercenary force fighting in eastern Ukraine, the Wagner Group, has claimed responsibility for the capture of Donetsk’s Bakhmut, which Ukraine denies has been taken by Russia. Mercenary group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin announced Saturday that his forces have been fighting in the town for the past nine months. While Russia’s Defense Ministry has since taken some of the credit for the victory, Prigozhin claimed that no regular army units had been involved and that his own forces had complete control of the town. He has a fractious relationship with Russia’s Defense Ministry and has been critical of the department in the past. Despite Prigozhin’s assertion of full control over Bakhmut, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rebuffed claims of Russian occupation, and Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the head of Ukraine’s ground forces, said that Ukrainian troops were still in control of parts of the town.