Russia: The Wagner Group from Russia has declared that they have gained legitimate authority over Bakhmut, Ukraine.

However, Kyiv has rebutted the claim, asserting that its military still holds the town in the eastern region and that there is intense fighting taking place there.

Mr. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the paramilitary force, announced that his troops had successfully surrounded and attempted to seize the destroyed town for several months. The leader further stated that they had hoisted a Russian flag on the administrative building of the town.

“From a legal point of view, Bakhmut has been taken. The enemy is concentrated in the western parts,” Mr. Prigozhin stated in an audio message posted on his press service’s Telegram account.

Despite the announcement made by Mr. Yevgeny Prigozhin, there is no confirmation from Ukrainian authorities suggesting that Bakhmut, which was a town with a population of 70,000 before the Russian invasion commenced a year ago, has been seized by the Russians.

Following the release of Mr. Prigozhin’s video, Ukrainian military officials stated that hostile troops had attempted to capture the town. However, they reported that their forces had successfully defended against more than 20 attacks from the enemy.

Ukraine President Mr. Volodymyr Zelensky earlier praised Ukrainian troops’ defence of the city.

Before this, Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister, Ms. Hanna Maliar, had labelled the condition around the town as tense. Ukrainian military personnel were protecting their locations, while Russian troops were exhibiting little regard for their losses as they launched their assaults, according to Maliar’s statements.

WORLD ROUNDUP: UK builds genetic early warning technology to spot pandemics