12:54 p.m. ET, May 21, 2023
A high-ranking general says that Ukraine no longer has much of Bakhmut, but the city is surrounded by militants
By Maria Kostenko and Allegra Goodwin on CNN
Serhiy Nozenko/Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty/Reuters
On Sunday, the head of the Ukrainian army said that the Ukrainian army does not control much of the eastern part of the town of Bakhmut, but that its units still maintain positions around the town.
Although we now control an insignificant part of Bakhmut, the importance of defending it remains. This gives us the possibility to enter the city in case the situation changes, and it will certainly happen,” Colonel General Oleksandr Sersky, commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, said in a statement shared by the Ukrainian Military Information Center.
Cirsky said his forces had advanced along the sides of the city and were now approaching the “tactical headquarters” at Bakhmut. “This will allow us to gradually take control and destroy all tall buildings occupied by the enemy,” he said.
We continue our defense. The situation is difficult, but it is under control. »
Some basic information: The head of Russia’s private military company Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, claimed on Saturday that his forces had taken full control of the city.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other officials in Kiev have insisted that Russia does not fully occupy Bakhmut, saying that the Ukrainian army will stick to a small area on the western edge of the city.
CNN cannot independently verify battlefield developments.
In reports from the front before Wagner’s announcement on Saturday, the Ukrainian army focused on advancing in areas immediately around the city, while Wagner’s forces said they had consolidated territory near the city center.
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