Army still ‘holds’ Bakhmut Ukraine says

Ukraine’s army said Sunday it still “holds” the eastern city of Bakhmut, which Russia’s Wagner mercenary group claimed it had captured “in a legal sense” by occupying its administration building.

“The enemy has not stopped its assault of Bakhmut. However, Ukrainian defenders are courageously holding the city as they repel numerous enemy attacks,” the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on its Facebook page.

The head of Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said on his Telegram channel Monday: “In a legal sense, Bakhmut has been captured. The enemy is concentrated in western areas.”

In a video accompanying the post, Prigozhin could be seen holding a Russian flag inscribed in honor of Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky, who was killed in a bomb attack in a cafe in Saint Petersburg on Sunday.

The fight for Bakhmut is the longest battle of Russia’s offensive in Ukraine.

Russian and Ukrainian forces have invested heavily in the struggle for Bakhmut, even though analysts say the city carries little strategic value.

Ukraine says the battle for the industrial town is key to holding back Russian forces along the entire eastern front.