Downing Street indicates Netanyahu faces arrest if he enters UK    London's Gatwick airport reopens terminal after bomb scare evacuation    Civil Defense warns of thunderstorms across Saudi Arabia until Tuesday    Saudi Arabia, Japan strengthen cultural collaboration with new MoU    Slovak president meets Saudi delegation to bolster trade and investment ties    Saudi defense minister meets with Swedish state secretary    Navigating healthcare's future: Solutions for a sustainable system    Sixth foreign tourist dies of suspected methanol poisoning in Laos    Al Khaleej qualifies for Asian Men's Club League Handball Championship final    Katy Perry v Katie Perry: Singer wins right to use name in Australia    Trump picks Pam Bondi as attorney general after Matt Gaetz withdraws    Al-Jasser: Saudi Arabia to expand rail network to over 8,000 km    OMODA&JAECOO: Unstoppable global cumulative sales over 360,000 units    Al Hilal doesn't need extra support to bring new players, CEO says    Saudi Arabia sees 73.7% rise in investment licenses in Q3 2024    Rafael Nadal: Farewell to the 'King of Clay'    Indonesia shocks Saudi Arabia with 2-0 victory in AFC Asian Qualifiers    Sitting too much linked to heart disease –– even if you work out    GASTAT report: 45.1% of Saudis are overweight    Denmark's Victoria Kjær Theilvig wins Miss Universe 2024    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Ukraine battle for Soledar hints at rift in pro-Russian forces
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 11 - 01 - 2023

Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces are taking part in the battle for Soledar, a town north of Bakhmut in east Ukraine which has been the focus of recent fighting.
It comes after the head of Russia's notoriously brutal Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, claimed his fighters were in full control there and boasted that only his troops took part.
Prigozhin will most likely use any victory to bolster the reputation of Wagner as an effective fighting force in the eyes of President Vladimir Putin.
But the Russian Defense Ministry appeared to contradict the controversial oligarch's claims.
Spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in the military's daily update that: "Soledar has been blockaded from the north and the south by units of the Russian Airborne Forces.
"The Russian Air Force is carrying out strikes on enemy strongholds. Assault troops are taking part in battles inside the town." There was no mention of Wagner forces.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry also said on Wednesday that heavy fighting continues, and Wagner forces have had no success in breaking through its defenses.
If Soledar falls, it will be a boost to Prigozhin. In a statement released on Tuesday night, he boasted that "no other units took part in the storming of Soledar apart from Wagner". Ukrainian and US officials have said that Wagner units make up a large part of forces fighting in the area.
Analysts have long spoken of tensions between the military and Wagner, and Prigozhin has publicly criticized generals for allegedly being out of touch with the realities of the war in Ukraine.
While it is difficult to know for sure exactly whether infighting is going on in the corridors of power, there are some clues.
Yesterday, news agency Tass reported that Col.-Gen. Alexander Lapin was appointed as Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces.
Russian media quoted sources who claimed that the announcement of Gen Lapin's position — he was one of those slammed by Prigozhin last year —- was made as a warning to the oligarch: Ddon't mess with the military.
But many here have been quick to praise Prigozhin and Wagner for their apparent progress in Soledar. Influential media boss Margarita Simonyan gushed about how "polite" he is, signing off with a thanks to Wagner fighters, who she called "my little darlings!"
Likewise, pro-Kremlin military bloggers on Telegram lavished praise on the mercenary group. One blogger thanked them for "the emotions you've given us tonight".
Another said "When Soledar and [Bakhmut] are liberated, it will be a new chapter in Russian military history. The first time that a private military company has shown such results in a highly intensive military conflict".
The strategic significance of Soledar is disputed by military analysts. But if Russian forces do succeed in establishing full control over the town, it will certainly be a symbolic victory for the Kremlin. That is because Moscow's troops have failed to take a single significant town from Ukrainian forces since the summer of 2022. — BBC


Clic here to read the story from its source.