Ukraine is disputing Russia’s assertion that its forces have taken full control of Bakhmut, alleging that its military is still holding onto a small area of the once-booming eastern Ukrainian city.
Hanna Maliar, Ukraine’s deputy defense minister, acknowledged that the situation inside the destroyed city was “critical.” Still, she rejected the Wagner Group’s victory claims as premature, alleging that Ukrainian forces were still engaged in combat operations against Russian troops and Wagner mercenaries. The Wagner Group is the private paramilitary organization contracted by the Kremlin to fight in the conflict.
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Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed that his troops had completed their eight month battle for Bakhmut, a fight that would ultimately destroy the city itself, on Saturday. The Russian Ministry of Defense backed up that claim on Sunday, which Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrated shortly after.
“As a result of offensive actions by Wagner assault units, supported by artillery and aviation of the Yug Group of Forces, the liberation of Artyomovsk has been completed,” a statement from the defense ministry read, referring to Bakhmut by it’s Soviet-Russian name.
The Ukrainian deputy defense minister’s pushback was in response to Wagner’s Saturday declaration of victory. She and other defense officials have yet to respond to Russia officially claiming it had completely taken the city.
French President Emmanuel Macron was asked about the confusion over which side currently controls the city at the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, Japan on Saturday, ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s planned Sunday appearance.
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“I think it is up to the Ukrainian authorities to state the developments of their forces on the ground,” Macron told reporters. “So I will stay at this stage extremely cautious.”
Zelensky, who arrived in Hiroshima early Sunday morning, has yet to comment on the Bakhmut situation to reporters at the G7. Nor have defense or intelligence officials from the United States.
