Over the past few hours, a state of conflict has emerged over statements by Ukrainian officials regarding the downfall of Bakhmut.
On Saturday, Russia announced full control of the war-torn city in eastern Ukraine, and if proven, it will be the end of the longest and bloodiest battle in the long-running war. for nearly 15 months.
What did Zelenskyy say about Bakhmut?
Zelenskyy said, ahead of a meeting with US President Joe Biden in Japan, that he thought “Ukraine has lost the city, but he added that you have to understand that there is nothing there. … They (the Russians) destroyed everything”.
He continued, “Today Bakhmut is only in our hearts. There is nothing there.”
Zelenskyy was speaking alongside the US president at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.
“It’s a tragedy,” Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy’s spokesperson
For his part, a spokesman for the Ukrainian president said that Zelenskyy did not confirm the control of Russian forces over the besieged town of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.
Sergey Nikiforov wrote on Facebook: “The journalist’s question was: The Russians said they had taken control of Bakhmut… The president’s answer was: I don’t think so.”
In Ukrainian, he added: “In this way, the president denied the capture of Bakhmut”.
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said late Saturday that Russia’s capture of the last remnants of Bakhmut “is not tactically or operationally significant.”
He added: “Control of these areas gives Russian forces little operational space to continue to launch offensive operations and counter possible Ukrainian counterattacks.
russian stance
For its part, the Russian ministry – using the Soviet name of the city – said: “In the tactical direction of Artyomovsk (Bakhmut), the assault teams of the special military group Wagner – with the support of artillery and of the aviation of the southern battle group – completed the liberation of the city of Artyomovsk.”
Russian government news agencies quoted the Kremlin press office as saying: “President Vladimir Putin congratulates Wagner’s offensive units, as well as all the soldiers of the units of the Russian Armed Forces, who provided them with the necessary support to carry out successful operation to liberate Artiomovsk.”
Fighting has raged around Bakhmut for more than 200 days.
It is unclear who paid a heavy price at the Battle of Bakhmut, as both Russia and Ukraine suffered casualties estimated in the thousands, although neither has revealed the number of casualties.
Zelenskyy stressed the importance of defending Bakhmut in an interview with The Associated Press in March, saying his downfall could allow Russia to rally international support for a deal that would force Kiev to make unacceptable concessions.
Read the Latest World News Today on The Eastern Herald.
