Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated the "Wagner Group" and his country's army following their announcement of control over the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, according to a statement from the Kremlin reported by Russian news agencies. The TASS news agency relayed a Kremlin statement in which Putin congratulated the Wagner assault units as well as all soldiers of the Russian armed forces who provided the necessary support to complete the operation to liberate Artemovsk, the Soviet name for Bakhmut.
On Sunday, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced complete control over the city of Bakhmut. TASS quoted the Ministry of Defense in a statement saying, "The assault units of the Wagner Group, supported by artillery and aviation from the Southern Combat Group, have completed the liberation of the city of Artemovsk (Bakhmut)."
Wagner Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin had stated on Saturday that his forces had taken control of Bakhmut after the longest battle in the ongoing war in Ukraine, but Ukrainian defense officials denied this. In a video posted on Telegram, Prigozhin claimed that the city had come under complete Russian control around midday on Saturday. He spoke alongside about six fighters, with destroyed buildings in the background and distant explosions heard.
However, after the video appeared, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar stated that fierce fighting was still ongoing. Maliar added, "The situation is critical... so far, our defenders control certain industrial facilities and infrastructure in this area."
For his part, Ukrainian Army Eastern Command spokesman Serhiy Cherevatyi stated that Prigozhin's claim was "false. Our units are fighting in Bakhmut." The Ukrainian General Staff also stated on Facebook that "the fierce battles for the city of Bakhmut continue."
Mykhailo Podolyak, Director of the Office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, remarked that "this is not the first time Prigozhin has claimed they captured everything and established control over everything." He also indicated that Prigozhin's statement aims to divert attention from Zelensky's recent foreign visits, including the G7 summit in Japan on Saturday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky implied a loss of Bakhmut to Russia, responding to a question on whether the city is still under Kyiv's control with "I think not." Zelensky, ahead of a meeting with his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden in Japan, stated, "I think not... today it is only in our hearts."
