Fighting in the besieged town of Bakhmut has returned to the fore of discussions over the war, with Ukraine saying it's reclaiming territory there. Russia's mercenary fighters engaged in intense battles there appear increasingly angry at a perceived lack of support from Russia's defense ministry.
The head of Ukraine's ground forces said Wednesday that Russian troops have retreated to a distance of up to two kilometers (1.2 miles) on parts of the front in Bakhmut as a result of counteroffensives.
The Kremlin's spokesperson acknowledged yesterday that the "special military operation" in Ukraine is complex, particularly in Bakhmut, but said he had no doubt that the besieged Donetsk town "will be captured and will be kept under control."
Dmitry Peskov noted that "emotions are boiling over there" as he alluded to angry comments by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia's Wagner Group of mercenaries, who has repeatedly complained about a lack of ammunition supplies and threatened to pull his fighters out of Bakhmut.