Conflicting accounts have emerged between Ukraine and Russia regarding Kremlin forces' control of the city of Bakhmut, which has been a focal point in Moscow's efforts to advance in eastern Ukraine for months. The Ukrainian army announced that it "controls much more than 20 percent of the city," noting that "the claim by Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin that his fighters have seized over 80 percent of Bakhmut is incorrect."
In response, the Russian Defense Ministry stated: "Wagner forces have taken control of three residential blocks in the city. Russian forces shelled reserve troops in the Ukrainian army who attempted to advance." Ukrainian military spokesperson Serhiy Cherevaty rejected Prigozhin's recent assertion of seizing 80 percent of the city, stating that he "contacted the commander of one of the brigades defending the city, who informed him that Ukrainian defensive forces control a much larger portion of Bakhmut." Cherevaty suggested that "Prigozhin wants to at least portray some kind of victory in the city, which they have been trying to capture for nine consecutive months, which is why he made these statements."
In this context, the Ukrainian General Staff confirmed that "Russian attempts to seize the city have not ceased, and Ukrainian forces repelled about 18 attacks. Russian forces unsuccessfully attempted to advance toward two villages in the northwest." In its report, the General Staff explained that "Ukrainian forces also repelled 14 attacks on the town of Marinka, located further south near Avdiivka."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised "the efforts of the defenders of Bakhmut and other areas in the east," though he did not specifically mention the situation in the city. In a speech given at a meeting of international financial institutions committed to maintaining financial stability for Kyiv, Zelensky called for "faster assistance aimed at rebuilding the country and restoring normal life after the Russian attack."
