New developments Russia warns Western alliance they will face colossal risks if they provide F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine TASS news agency
New developments:
Ukraine says fighting in Bakhmut continues to rage on, rejecting claims Saturday by Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin that his fighters have occupied the besieged city.
In a video on the Telegram messaging app, Prigozhin claimed his forces fully captured the destroyed Ukrainian city. ‘Today, at 12 noon, Bakhmut was completely taken,’ he said. ‘We completely took the whole city, from house to house.’
The Wagner chief appeared in combat fatigues in front of a line of fighters holding Russian flags and Wagner banners.
In this handout photo taken from video and released by Prigozhin Press Service, May 20, 2023, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group military company holds a Russian national flag in Bakhmut, Ukraine. (Prigozhin Press Service/AP)
Responding to Prigozhin’s claims, Ukrainian military spokesperson Serhiy Cherevatyi told Reuters, ‘This is not true. Our units are fighting in Bakhmut.’
However, Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar called the situation in Bakhmut ‘critical,’ with the Ukrainian troops maintaining a defense in the southwestern part of the city.
‘Heavy fighting in Bakhmut. The situation is critical,’ she said on Telegram. ‘As of now, our defenders control some industrial and infrastructure facilities in the area and the private sector.’
Bloodiest battle
For almost 15 months, Bakhmut has been the focus of the longest and bloodiest battle of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
However, Prigozhin claimed his forces had full control of the city and insisted Wagner fighters would hand over Bakhmut to the regular Russian army by May 25.
