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His spokesman denied previous reports attributed to the Ukrainian president that the besieged city had been taken by Russian forces.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the city of Bakhmut has been “completely destroyed” by Wagner’s Moscow private army, backed by Russian troops, after an eight-month bloody battle.
“They destroyed everything,” Zelenskyy said during a speech at the G7 summit in the Japanese city of Hiroshima on Sunday.
“For today, Bakhmut is only in our hearts,” he said. “There is nothing in this place.”
However, his spokesman earlier on Sunday denied reports attributed to the Ukrainian president that the besieged eastern Ukrainian city had been taken by Russian forces.
“Reporter’s question: The Russians said they took Bakhmut,” Sergii Nykyforov wrote on Facebook. “Answer from the president: I don’t think so.”
He added in Ukrainian: “In this way the president denied the capture of Bakhmut.”
This is an evolving story. More updates to follow.