Russia has declared victory in the fight for the most embattled city so far in the Russo-Ukraine war – Bakhmut.
But Ukraine has denied the claim and called it fake news.
The battle for Bakhmut, also known as Artyomovsk, spans several months. It’s a key city in the Donetsk Oblast, one of the four regions of Ukraine annexed by Russia last year. Over the winter months, the military battle over the city slowed down but regained steam over the past few weeks.
Last week, the Ukrainian government admitted that Russia controls 65 percent of Bakhmut while Russia’s Wagner paramilitary group claimed control of 70 percent of the city.
On Sunday night, Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin released a video showing him hoisting the Russian flag over Bakhmut’s city hall as he declared that Bakhmut has “legally” been taken.
The Wagner declaration of victory in Bakhmut made news worldwide as the video of the Russian flag raised over the city hall went viral. But Ukraine has rejected the claim and insists that “fierce fighting” continues in Bakhmut.
Ukrainian Presidential Office head Andrii Yermak has urged people not to fall for “fakes inventing a victory” and stay assured that “Bakhmut is Ukraine.”
Reporting on Yermak’s remarks, Ukrainian news source The Kyiv Independent wrote:
Yermak didn’t specify what “fakes” he meant, but he was likely referring to the April 2 statement of Wagner Group’s founder and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s confidant Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Some supporters of Ukraine became upset with the news of Bakhmut’s alleged capture by Russia and called out media channels for even reporting the news. One Twitter user snapped at the BBC for reporting on the Wagner chief’s claim.
“Bakhmut is Ukrainian, and they have not captured anything and are very far from doing that.”
