Russia-Ukraine war: Kyiv says Russian forces 'very far' from capturing Bakhmut

Ukraine refuted Russia’s claims that it has captured the key city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine after months of intense fighting. Kyiv added that the battle continues around the building where the Russian Wagner mercenary group claimed to have raised the Russian flag.

On Monday, the spokesperson for Ukraine’s eastern military command told Reuters that Russia has not yet captured the key city, adding that it remains to be seen where Russian forces raised their flags in the city. This comes as Bakhmut has been the center of one of the most brutal battles in the war that has been going on for more than one year. Both sides have since suffered significant casualties, and much of the city has been reduced to rubble due to continued bombardments.

“They raised the flag over some kind of toilet. They attached it to the side of who knows what, hung their rag, and said they had captured the city. Well good, let them think they’ve taken it,” said spokesperson Serhiy Cherevatyl via telephone.

Cherevatyl’s comments follow claims by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin on Sunday, saying that the paramilitary group has already raised the Russian flag over the administration building of Bakhmut. Prigozhin said that from a “legal” standpoint, Russia has already captured Bakhmut.

“There are battles around the building of city council, they haven’t captured anything in a legal sense,” said Cherevatyl. “Bakhmut is Ukrainian and they have not captured anything and are very far from doing that to put it mildly.”

On Tuesday, the British defense ministry said in its intelligence bulletin that Moscow is likely looking to fund and develop alternative private military groups in an effort to eventually replace the Wagner group on the ground in Ukraine. The ministry noted that this effort comes amidst the ongoing feud between the private mercenary group and the Russian defense ministry.

“Russia’s military leadership likely wants a replacement PMC that it has more control over. However, no other known Russian PMC currently approaches Wagner’s size or combat power,” said the ministry.

The ministry said that Moscow “sees continued utility for PMCs in Ukraine” as they are not subject to “limited pay levels and inefficiency which hamper the effectiveness of the regular army.”