Russia Claims Complete Capture of Bakhmut; Ukraine Denies

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced early Sunday morning: "As a result of the offensive actions of Wagner forces, supported by artillery and air support, the liberation of the city of Artyomovsk has been completed." This statement refers to the city of Bakhmut. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, noting the critical situation in Bakhmut, denied the claim of its capture by Wagner mercenaries. According to Reuters, if confirmed, this news would mark the end of the longest and bloodiest battle of the 15-month war, during which Bakhmut has been significantly destroyed by Wagner's mercenary forces. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the commander of Wagner forces, stated that his troops have finally succeeded in pushing the Ukrainian army out of the last area within the city. Russian news agencies reported that Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, congratulated the soldiers on the capture of Bakhmut and announced that they would be awarded prizes. These claims come after a week in which Ukrainian forces made their fastest advances in the past six months on both the northern and southern fronts of Bakhmut. Yevgeny Prigozhin, who has repeatedly criticized Russian military personnel for abandoning areas captured by his forces, mentioned that he would withdraw his troops from Bakhmut for five days of rest and hand the city over to the army. The Russian military invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, leading to an ongoing military confrontation between the two countries. So far, tens of thousands have been killed, and hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian citizens have been displaced.