Putin-Ally Led Wagner Group Asserts Dominance In Bakhmut, But Kyiv Says Russia 'Losing To Us In Street Battles'

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner Group chief and an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said on Tuesday that his troops had taken control of over 80% of Bakhmut, a Ukrainian city located in the eastern part of the war-torn nation.

What Happened: Prigozhin said his private mercenaries were pressing on with their encirclement of Bakhmut. “In Bakhmut, the larger part, more than 80% is now under our control, including the whole administrative center, factories, warehouses, the administration of the city,” he said in a video posted by a Russian military blogger.

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Ukraine did not directly dispute the claims but said its forces were holding firm against fierce attacks in what once was a city of 70,000 people. Senior Ukrainian military officials said their army was keeping Russian forces in check, reported Reuters.

Ukraine’s Eastern Military Command spokesman Serhiy Cherevatyi said the situation in Bakhmut was under control. He said Kyiv would not allow its troops to be encircled.

According to Deputy Ukrainian Defence Minister Hanna Malyar, Bakhmut “took the main hit” but Russian forces “are generally losing to us in street battles, so they are simply destroying all buildings and structures.”

Why It Matters: Wagner Group, that has played a major role in Russian advances in eastern Ukraine, has been trying to take over Bakhmut for several months. 

The eastern city has been through intense fighting, with both sides using trenches and constant artillery attacks.

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