Russia claims Ukrainian city of Bakhmut captured, Kyiv denies
What's the story
Russia claimed on Saturday that it has fully captured the key eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, which marks the end of one of the longest and bloodiest battles of the 15-month war, reported Reuters. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of the Wagner Group of mercenaries, reportedly claimed his troops finally pushed the Ukrainian forces out of the last built-up area inside Bakhmut.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Capturing Bakhmut, which is referred to by Moscow by its Soviet-era name of Artyomovsk, would represent Russia's first major victory in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine in over 10 months. The private Wagner Group of mercenaries has been fighting alongside the Russian soldiers for months against Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut as the city allegedly holds tactical importance in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Details
Bakhmut completely taken: Prigozhin
In his latest video message, Prigozhin said, "Today, at 12 noon (Saturday), Bakhmut was completely taken." "We completely took the whole city, from house to house," the Wagner Group chief added in the video in which he appeared in combat gear while standing in front of a line of fighters holding Wagner banners and Russian flags.
Twitter Post
Video of Prigozhin's address
Take with a grain of salt. Prigozhin says Wagner’s forces have established full control over Bakhmut after a bloody siege that all but destroyed the city.
— max seddon (@maxseddon) May 20, 2023
His declaration of triumph is a long rant about how Shoigu and Gerasimov were no help and Wagner mostly did it on their own pic.twitter.com/CVxrQY6p9R
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Putin lauds Russia's Bakhmut succeess
Moreover, Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly congratulated the troops on their success and stated that those who had distinguished themselves would be awarded. Meanwhile, the Russian Defence Ministry said in an official release, "As a result of offensive actions by Wagner assault units, supported by artillery and aviation of the Southern Group of Forces, the liberation of Artyomovsk has been completed."
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Ukraine denies Russia's claims over Bakhmut
Less than an hour after Russia claimed Bakhmut's capture, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar admitted in a Telegram post that the situation in Bakhmut was "critical." However, Maliar added that Ukrainian troops were still "holding the defense" in the city's westernmost edge, reported CNN. Meanwhile, the country's military spokesperson Serhiy Cherevatyi stated, "This is not true. Our units are fighting in Bakhmut."
Further information
Zelenskyy reached Japan on Saturday for G7 Summit
This major development comes at a time when Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is attending the G7 Summit in Japan. He has won pledges of support from numerous nations there, including a signal from the United States (US) that it would now train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets. On the way to Japan, Zelenskyy also stopped at an Arab summit in Saudi Arabia.
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All you need to know about battle for Bakhmut
To note, Russia has long emphasized that capturing Bakhmut would be a major stepping stone toward advancing further into the Donbas region. However, the battle for Bakhmut has revealed a worsening split between Wagner and the regular Russian military. Prigozhin has reportedly been releasing video and audio messages every day and denouncing Russia's military leadership, often in expletive-laden rants, for almost two weeks.