Zelensky denies Russia’s capture of Bakhmut

Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskydenied this Sunday that Bajmutin the east of the country, has been captured by Russia, as Moscow claimed the day before.

The Russian paramilitary group Wagner, whose troops were on the front line of the fighting, and the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday that Bakhmut had been “totally liberated.”

During the last months, that town became the epicenter of the fighting in the war launched by Russia in February 2022.

Russian troops are in Bakhmut, but “the city is not occupied,” the Ukrainian president declared on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyon the sidelines of a G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, which he attended to seek diplomatic support and military aid.

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“Today they are in Bakhmut. Bakhmut is not occupied by Russia today,” Zelensky told a news conference. “I cannot share with you the tactical opinions of our military,” he added.

Previously, his spokesman, Sergei Nykyforov, had specified on Facebook that the Ukrainian president “denied the capture of Bakhmut“, after Zelensky made some confusing statements.

These ambiguous statements occurred when Zelensky responded to the press when they asked him: “Is Bakhmut still in the hands of Ukraine? The Russians say they have taken Bakhmut,” to which the president replied: “I think not,” but there was no clear whether he was answering the first part of the question or the second.

“They must understand that there is nothing left” there; “Today, Bakhmut is only in our hearts,” added the Ukrainian leader, who compared Bakhmut’s situation with that of Hiroshima after the explosion of the atomic bomb.

“There is absolutely nothing alive, all the buildings are destroyed […] Absolute and total destruction,” he said.

Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Maliar said Kiev’s forces had “partially surrounded” Bakhmut thanks to their advances north and south of the city, which “makes the enemy’s presence very difficult” in the town.

Again, he indicated that the Ukrainian forces continue to control “some industrial facilities and infrastructure” in that town.

The capture of Bakhmut, which in recent months had been 90% conquered by the Russians, was claimed on Saturday by Wagner’s boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who assured that he would hand over control of the city to the Russian army on May 25. .

The Russian President, Vladimir Putin congratulated the Wagner fighters and the Russian army for “the achievement of the operation to liberate” Bakhmut and promised to decorate the soldiers who distinguished themselves in the battle, which began last summer.

New weapons for Ukraine

If confirmed, the fall of Bakhmut would allow Russia to score a key victory after a series of humiliating defeats.

It would also come ahead of a counter-offensive that Ukraine claims to have been preparing for months, thanks to Western weapons supplies.

After meeting with several leaders of the G7 countries, including US President Joe Biden, who stressed that Putin “will not break” the “determination” of Westerners to support Ukraine.

During the meeting with Biden, Zelensky obtained a promise that the United States would supply Ukraine with more ammunition, artillery and armored vehicles, after Washington agreed to deliver the F-16 fighter jets that Kiev had been demanding for some time.

According to Biden, the Ukrainian president “firmly assured” him that kyiv will not attack Russian territory with those planes.

Moscow and kyiv are believed to have suffered heavy losses in Bakhmut, a city that before the war had some 70,000 inhabitants and is now largely destroyed by fighting.

The battle for that city also gave rise to an open conflict between Wagner’s chief and the Russian General Staff, which Yevgeny Prigozhin accuses of not having deliberately supplied his men with enough ammunition to weaken the paramilitary group.

In addition, Prigozhin accused Russian troops of abandoning their positions near Bakhmut, while Ukraine this week claimed responsibility for seizing more than 20 km² north and south of the city from Moscow forces.

On the diplomatic front, there are several initiatives to promote peace negotiations, such as the tour of a Chinese emissary who visited Kiev this week and the constitution of a delegation of six African leaders who plan to travel to Russia in June or July.

In addition, the Vatican announced on Saturday that Pope Francis has entrusted a peace mission to Ukraine to Matteo Zuppi, cardinal of the Sant Egidio community, known for its work in the service of diplomacy.