Of Bakhmut, "there is nothing left." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed this Sunday, during the G7 in Hiroshima, the small city of 70,000 inhabitants is nothing more than a field of ruins. But in whose hands? For two days, the Wagner militia and Vladimir Putin have claimed the capture of the city, epicenter of the fighting in the east of the country, against Kiev which denies any capture. While confusion reigns around this battlefield, let's take a look back at the latest statements from both sides.
Wagner announces Saturday the complete capture of Bakhmut
"On May 20, 2023, today, at noon, Bakhmut was taken in its entirety." The head of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, claimed Saturday the total capture of the city, giving his militia all the credit for the victory. "The operation to take Bakhmut lasted 224 days (...) There was only Wagner here," he said. That is, no regular troops of the Russian army.
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In open conflict with the military hierarchy in Moscow, the head of the private militia indicated that Wagner would withdraw his men from the city from May 25 and leave the defense to the regular Russian army. In passing, he once again accused the Russian soldiers of fleeing their positions near Bakhmut, while claiming that the General Staff was not providing enough ammunition to its men on purpose to weaken his group.
Kiev denies capture, despite 'critical situation'
Ukraine did not wait long to react. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Maliar said Saturday that Ukrainian soldiers still controlled "some industrial facilities and infrastructure." And this, despite the fact that their situation on the ground remains "critical".
On the same day, the adviser to the Ukrainian presidency, Mykhailo Podoliak, maintained the vagueness, saying on television that "Bakhmut will be liberated, like all other territories of Ukraine."
Kremlin welcomes capture of Bakhmut
A few hours later, the Kremlin formalized the victory, celebrating the total capture of the city, scene of the longest and bloodiest battle since the beginning of the war. "As a result of the offensive actions of Wagner's assault units, with the support of artillery and aviation of the southern unit, the liberation of the city of Artemovsk is total," the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday night, using the Soviet name Bakhmut.
Vladimir Putin congratulated in the evening the Wagner militia and the army for "the completion of the operation (which made it possible to) liberate Artemovsk," according to a statement from the Kremlin.
The city is not "occupied", says Zelensky
Did the city really fall into Russian hands? Questioned on Sunday, President Zelensky initially seemed not to deny Russian claims, before clarifying his position. "Today, they [Russian soldiers] are in the city," he said, on the sidelines of the G7 in Japan. Before firmly adding: "Bakhmut is not occupied by Russia today."
However, the situation remains complicated on the ground, as he seemed to admit: "I cannot share with you the tactical opinions of our military. The most difficult thing would be for there to be a tactical error in Bakhmut and for our men to be surrounded."
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The Ukrainian president also returned to the state of ruins in which the city now stands. "I can honestly say that the photos of destroyed Hiroshima remind me of Bakhmut. There is absolutely nothing alive anymore, all the buildings are destroyed (...) an absolute and total destruction," he lamented.
Which part of the city is still in the hands of Ukrainian soldiers? As a reminder, before the Russian claim, Bakhmut was already more than 90% conquered by Russian forces in recent months. Now Kiev controls an "insignificant" part of this city, but "continues to advance on the flanks in the suburbs," defended, for his part, the commander of the Ukrainian forces, Oleksandr Syrsky.
The city is taken "to the last centimeter", insists Wagner
This Sunday, finally, the boss of the Russian group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, once again assured that the city had been taken "to the last centimeter" in its "legal borders".
"There is not a single Ukrainian soldier in Bakhmut," he repeated, casting further doubt on the fate of the destroyed city.