Zelensky appeared to verify on Sunday that Ukraine is now not answerable for town of Bakhmut, marking a major turning level within the lethal battle that has ravaged town for over 8 months, leading to widespread destruction and the lack of hundreds of lives.

Speaking to reporters throughout a gathering with US President Joe Biden on the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Zelensky acknowledged that he believes Ukraine has misplaced management of town. His assertion got here hours after Russia’s protection ministry supported claims made by the pinnacle of the Wagner paramilitary group, asserting that Russia has seized town.

“I think no … For today, Bakhmut is only in our hearts,” Zelensky was quoted as saying on the sidelines of the G7 Summit when questioned concerning the metropolis’s management standing.

Previously, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated the Wagner Group personal army firm (PMC), in addition to the Russian armed forces, on “the liberation of the city of Artemovsk”.

Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin introduced on Saturday that “Russian forces had gained complete control over Artemovsk.” The Russian protection ministry later confirmed the profitable liberation of town.

Artemovsk, located north of the foremost metropolis of Gorlovka, serves as a vital transportation hub with quite a few crossroads for Donbass. It performed an important position in supplying Ukrainian troops stationed within the area on the onset of the conflict in Ukraine over a 12 months in the past.