Global Courant 2023-05-21 11:26:04
HIROSHIMA, Japan (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared to confirm the loss of the city of Bakhmut to Russia on Sunday when asked if it would remain under Kiev’s control.
“I don’t think so,” he said ahead of a meeting with US President Joe Biden in Japan. “For today, Bakhmut is only in our hearts.”
Russia claimed on Saturday to have completely captured the destroyed eastern Ukrainian city, marking the end of the longest and bloodiest battle of the 15-month war.
“It’s a tragedy,” Zelensky said. “There is nothing in this place.”
The attack on the largely razed city was led by troops from the Wagner group of mercenaries, whose leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said earlier in the day that his troops had finally pushed the Ukrainians out of the last built-up area in the city.
Kiev had previously rejected Prigozhin’s claim.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt, editing by William Maclean & Simon Cameron-Moore)
