Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian leader, said that “there’s nothing left” after Bakhmut was ravaged by months of intense fighting.
The president of the country said that the invaders had “dismantled everything”.
Zelenskyy spoke alongside Joe Biden, President of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima Japan.
When asked if Bakhmut was now under Russian control, the President replied: “You must understand that there’s nothing”.
They destroyed everything.
Latest updates on the war with Ukraine
He added, “Bakhmut is in our hearts today.”
There is nothing here.
Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, congratulated earlier his troops on capturing this eastern city. This is located in the Donetsk Region.
Sliders to compare Maxar satellite images from Bakhmut 12 months ago to today
On Saturday, both the Kremlin’s Defence Ministry and the head of the Wagner mercenary gang, Yevgeny Prgozhin had claimed that the city was now under Russian control.
Mr Prigozhin stated: “We took the entire city, house to house.”
Read More:
The terror and desperation of Bakhmut’s blackened nightmare
In a video, in which he appeared in front of fighters with Russian flags and Wagner Banners, he announced that his forces would leave the city on 25 May to rest and retrain, and hand control over to the regular Russian Army.
Russian news agencies reported that Mr Putin had said that those who fought at Bakhmut were commended and given awards.
Since more than eight-months, violence has been raging in and around the City.
The Russians will have a massive task to complete in order to seize the last part of Donetsk still under Ukrainian control. This includes several heavily fortified zones.
Kyiv had previously stated that its goal in Bakhmut would be to draw Russian forces into the area and cause high casualties in order to weaken Moscow’s defences before a major offensive.
Mr Zelensky stressed the importance of Bakhmut’s defense in March. He said its fall could enable Russia to rally support for an agreement that would require Kyiv make unacceptable compromises.
Analysts said Bakhmut’s fall would be an important blow for Ukraine, and would give Russia some tactical advantages. However, it would not have a decisive impact on the outcome of war.
The Russians will have a massive task to complete in order to seize the last part of Donetsk still under Ukrainian control. This includes several heavily fortified zones.
Donbas is the industrial heartland of Ukraine, which includes Donetsk as well as Luhansk. A separatist revolt began there in 2014; Moscow annexed it illegally in September.
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