After the Wagner paramilitary group claimed to have captured the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, Russian President Vladimir Putin extended his congratulations to them.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Wagner, appeared in a video alongside his fighters, sharing the claim on social media on Saturday.
While Ukraine’s deputy defense minister rejected the assertion, he acknowledged the critical situation within the city.
The battle for Bakhmut, known as one of the war’s bloodiest conflicts, has been ongoing since August.
Wagner paramilitary forces, despite analysts considering Bakhmut of little strategic importance to Moscow, have spearheaded the Russian attack, resulting in the loss of thousands of troops.
In response, Ukraine has chosen to make a stand in what has become the longest and bloodiest battle thus far in the war.
As per comments reported by Russian state media, President Putin asserted that Wagner troops, with the support of Russian air force jets, successfully completed “the operation to liberate” Bakhmut on Saturday, following months of intense fighting.
Mr. Prigozhin, a close ally of the Russian president, leads this private military company consisting of thousands of members.
He has previously claimed the capture of Bakhmut, or at least a significant portion, only to have those claims swiftly denied by Ukrainians. Mr. Prigozhin has also publicly criticized top Russian military officials, accusing them of failing to provide his troops with sufficient ammunition.
In his most recent video, asserting control over Bakhmut, Mr. Prigozhin stated that “no one can meticulously criticize us for failing to capture at least some part.”
Explosions audible in the background suggest that fighting continues in close proximity to the city, if not within its boundaries.
Furthermore, Mr. Prigozhin pledged to hand over the city to regular Russian troops later this month.
The Russian defense ministry echoed these claims on Saturday night, as reported by Moscow’s state media.