Goals of Russian Invasion of Ukraine 'Partially Achieved', Putin's Spokesman Says

After more than a year of war, the Kremlin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, has claimed that Russia's objectives in Ukraine have been "partially achieved”. 

Speaking to ATV TV channel in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Peskov said that while the mission to "protect the residents of Donbas" had not been fully accomplished, Russian troops had made 'significant progress'.

Peskov also acknowledged the slow pace of the military operation, saying that 'Russia is conducting a special military operation rather than wages a war'.

"You would ask me why the Russians are so slow to act? Because the Russians are not waging war, we're not waging the war. Waging war is a completely different matter, it is the total destruction of infrastructure, it is the complete destruction of cities. We don't do that," Peskov replied to his own question.

When asked about the ongoing battles for Bakhmut, Peskov described the area as "a very strong fortified area" where "very heavy offensive actions are being conducted."

But despite the spokesman's optimism, tensions are reportedly running high within the ranks of Russian forces.

Peskov did not specifically mention the public conflict between the founder of Wagner's PMCs, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and the Defense Ministry, whom Prigozhin accuses of failing to supply ammunition to his mercenaries.

But emotions, he admitted, "are certainly off the scale.”

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On Tuesday, May 9, Yevgeny Prigozhin released a video once again bemoaning the shortage of ammunition suffered by Wagner PMCs and blaming the Russian Ministry of Defense for failing to deliver its promised resupply.

Within the 27-minute recording, Wagner Chief also claimed that one of the units of the Russian Armed Forces fled from a strategic bridgehead in the Bakhmut area, where about 500 Wagner PMCs mercenaries were killed.

Prigozhin also stated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are "tearing the flanks" and will launch a counteroffensive soon. He did not specify which part of the front he was referring to.