The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in the Donetsk village of Opytnoe are resisting at a level "that one may not have seen in the history of the last century," Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of private military company Wagner said, his press service reports.
Journalists asked Prigozhin to comment on reports about the Russian troops taking control of the village of Opytnoe in the Donetsk People's Republic.
"I've said before that there are bloody battles going on there. The enemy is putting up resistance at a level that one may not have seen in the history of the last century,” the press service quoted Prigozhin as saying.
PMC Wagner made it a rule not to report the capture of settlements within one or two days. One first needs to withstand all counterattacks before making any announcement and hoisting the Russian flag, Prigozhin said.
In early November, it was reported that members of PMC Wagner were fighting for the southern suburb of Artemovsk (Bakhmut) — the village of Opytnoye. This is one of the most difficult area – the capture of the town will break the logistics of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Military correspondents of WarGonzo Telegram reported that the Russian troops had taken nearly 90 percent of territory in the area of the village of Opytnoye under control.