The head of the Wagner Group of Russian mercenaries admitted that the battle to capture the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut is being waged house by house.
Yevgeny Prigozhin's admission is yet another sign that Russia’s war effort in the Donbas has stalled, as the first anniversary of the invasion next month approaches.
During a grim New Year’s visit to the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, Mr Prigozhin, an ally of President Vladimir Putin, appeared largely unfazed as he inspected mounds of body bags holding his deceased fighters.
The oligarch, 61, was filmed in a makeshift morgue where the extent of Russia’s losses on the battlefield was laid bare.
He could be seen blessing himself as he shone a torch on to the exposed and wrapped remains of his men, many of whom are believed to be convicts. Black body bags could be seen piled on top of one another to shoulder height in the corner of one room.
“Their contract has finished, they will go home next week,” Mr Prigozhin can be heard saying, adding: “These are getting ready to be sent. We all work during New Year’s Eve.
“Here lie Wagner fighters who died at the front. They are now being put in zinc coffins and they will return home.”
In another scene in footage published by his own media outlet, the Wagner chief can be seen looking on as more bodies are loaded from a lorry on to stretchers.
“So long, guys. Happy new year!” he can be heard saying.
Bakhmut has in recent months endured some of the heaviest clashes between invading forces and troops loyal to Kyiv.
The Wagner Group of paramilitaries is leading Russia’s attempt to capture the city, which Mr Prigozhin previously referred to as the “Bakhmut meat grinder”.
In an interview with Russian state TV on Tuesday, he admitted troops were sometimes fighting "several weeks for a single house".
“Everyone wants to know when we will capture [Bakhmut],” Mr Prigozhin told state media. “[But] every house has become a fortress. Our guys sometimes fight for more than a day over one house. Sometimes they fight for weeks over one house. Every 10 metres there is a defensive line.”
The businessman is known as “Putin’s chef” after the president attended numerous dinners hosted by his restaurants and catering businesses.
The Wagner Group first appeared in Ukraine in 2014 when its fighters were part of Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
Meanwhile, Russia has revised its death toll from a Ukrainian strike on a building housing soldiers in the Makiivka. Officials say 89 soldiers died in the blast, after previously claiming 63 lives were lost. Kyiv has said the death toll is likely to be as high as 400.
The New Year’s Eve attack on the Russian-held town near Donetsk city hit a building being used as accommodation for occupying troops.
The Russian military blamed the unauthorised use of cell phones by soldiers for enabling the Ukrainians to pinpoint their position.
Lt Gen Sergei Sevryukov said on Tuesday evening that signals transmitted from mobiles had allowed Kyiv’s forces to “determine the co-ordinates of the location of military personnel” and launch a strike. He said the military is taking unspecified measures to “prevent similar tragic incidents in the future”, as he vowed to punish officials responsible for the blunder.
The attack, one of the deadliest on the Kremlin’s forces since the invasion was launched, occurred one minute into the new year, according to Lt Gen Sevryukov.
Ammunition may also have been stored there and probably contributed to further damage, according to British intelligence.
“Given the extent of the damage, there is a realistic possibility that ammunition was being stored near to troop accommodation, which detonated during the strike creating secondary explosions,” the UK’s Ministry of Defence said.
“The building was only 12.5km from the Avdiivka sector of front line, one of the most intensely contested areas of the conflict.
“The Russian military has a record of unsafe ammunition storage from well before the current war, but this incident highlights how unprofessional practices contribute to Russia’s high casualty rate.”
As the fighting drags on, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said there is little sign that Mr Putin plans to end the war any time soon “despite all international efforts”.
“The Russian president started this brutal war of aggression and he alone can end it,” Ms Baerbock said in an interview with news website Table Media.
“If Russia stops bombing and withdraws its soldiers, we will have peace.”
The Russian leader is planning to hold talks with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Wednesday, Interfax reported, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last February, Mr Erdogan has sought to play the role of intermediary between Moscow and Kyiv.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only. Readers are encouraged to seek independent legal advice.
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Founders: Michele Ferrario, Nino Ulsamer and Freddy Lim
Started: established in 2016 and launched in July 2017
Based: Singapore, with offices in the UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand
Sector: FinTech, wealth management
Initial investment: $500,000 in seed round 1 in 2016; $2.2m in seed round 2 in 2017; $5m in series A round in 2018; $12m in series B round in 2019; $16m in series C round in 2020 and $25m in series D round in 2021
Current staff: more than 160 employees
Stage: series D
Investors: EightRoads Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Sequoia Capital India
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Ajax win 5-3 on aggregate
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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