The Russian Ministry of Defense and the head of the Russian Wagner mercenary force, Yevgeny Prigozhin, reported the alleged capture of the city of Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine, which has been fought over for weeks by Russian forces.
“Today, at noon, Bakhmut was completely captured,” Prigozhin said in a video posted on Telegram. The head of the mercenary group announced that the city would be handed over to the Russian military. Wagner’s forces withdrew from the city on May 25, so Prigozhin.
Hours later, Russia’s Ministry of Defense also stressed that it had gained full control of the eastern Ukrainian city. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the conquest was complete.
Ukraine denies
Ukraine immediately objected. Ukrainian soldiers continued to fight in Bakhmut, the top brass of the Ukrainian Armed Forces responsible for eastern Ukraine said.
In recent days, there have been reports of progress being made by the Ukrainian military around Bakhmut. Information from the Ukrainian and Russian sides is simply not verifiable.
However, Prigozhin himself said about a week ago that Russian troops had withdrawn from an area close to the city. Ukraine occupied an elevation in front of the city and controlled the main road to Bakhmut, previously controlled by Wagner’s mercenaries.