Wagner owner says war in Ukraine will drag on for years

The proprietor of the Russian Wagner Group backstage subject contractor actively progressive successful the warring successful Ukraine has predicted that the warfare could resistance connected for years.

Yevgeny Prigozhin said successful a video interrogation released precocious Friday that it could instrumentality 18 months to 2 years for Russia to afloat unafraid power of Ukraine's eastbound concern heartland of Donbas. He added that the warfare could spell connected for 3 years if Moscow decides to seizure broader territories eastbound of the Dnieper River.

The connection from Prigozhin, a millionaire who has adjacent links to Russian President Vladimir Putin and was dubbed "Putin's chef" for his lucrative Kremlin catering contracts, marked a designation of the difficulties that the Kremlin has faced successful the campaign, which it initially expected to wrapper up wrong weeks erstwhile Russian troops invaded Ukraine connected Feb. 24.

Russia suffered a bid of humiliating setbacks successful the autumn erstwhile the Ukrainian subject launched palmy counteroffensives to reclaim wide swaths of territory successful the eastbound and the south. The Kremlin has avoided making forecasts connected however agelong the warring could continue, saying that what it called the "special subject operation" volition proceed until its goals are fulfilled.

The Russian forces person focused connected Ukraine's Luhansk and Donetsk provinces that marque up the Donbas portion wherever Moscow-backed separatists person been warring Ukrainian forces since 2014.

Prigozhin said that the Wagner Group mercenaries were continuing fierce battles for power of the Ukrainian stronghold of Bakhmut successful the Donetsk region. He acknowledged that the Ukrainian troops were mounting fierce resistance.

As Russian troops person pushed their attacks successful the Donbas, Moscow has besides sought to demoralize Ukrainians by leaving them without vigor and h2o successful the bitter winter.

On Friday, Russia launched the 14th circular of monolithic strikes connected Ukrainian vigor facilities and different captious infrastructure. High-voltage infrastructure facilities were deed successful the eastern, occidental and confederate regions, resulting successful powerfulness outages successful immoderate areas.

Ukraine's vigor company, Ukrenergo, said Saturday that the concern was "difficult but controllable," adding that progressive backups to support up powerfulness supplies but noting that powerfulness rationing volition proceed successful immoderate areas.

Ukraine's subject chief, Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, said that Russian forces launched 71 cruise missiles, 35 S-300 missiles and 7 Shahed drones betwixt precocious Thursday and midday Friday, adding that Ukrainian aerial defenses downed 61 cruise missiles and 5 drones.

The Ukrainian authorities reported much attacks by slayer drones aboriginal connected Friday. The Ukrainian aerial unit said the subject downed 20 Shahed drones successful the evening.

Late Friday, Russian subject bloggers and immoderate Ukrainian quality outlets posted a video showing an onslaught by a oversea drone connected a strategical railway span successful the Odesa region. The grainy video showed a fast-moving entity approaching the span successful Zatoka, astir 50 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of Odesa, and exploding successful a almighty blast.

The authenticity of the video couldn't beryllium verified. The Ukrainian subject hasn't commented connected the attack, and Serhii Bratchuk, a spokesperson for the determination administration, wouldn't corroborate the drone onslaught erstwhile helium spoke successful televised remarks connected Saturday.

The bridge, which was targeted by Russian rocket strikes aboriginal successful the war, serves the railway nexus to Romania, which is simply a cardinal conduit for Western arms supplies.