Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, has insisted that Bakhmut, a city in Ukraine, has not been captured by Russia. A Moscow-backed mercenary group called Wagner claimed control over Bakhmut, but Ukrainian military sources stated they still had control of some buildings on the outskirts of the city.
During his visit to Hiroshima, Japan for the G7 summit, Zelensky, compared the situation in Bakhmut to the reconstruction of Hiroshima after the atomic bomb attack in World War II, expressing his determination for a similar reconstruction of Ukraine.
“Now Hiroshima has rebuilt their city, and we dream of rebuilding our cities,” he said.
In a video uploaded on Twitter by a user, the commander of the Wagner Group – Hero of Russia, Alexander “Ratibor” Kuznetsov hoisted the banner of PMC Wagner and the flag of Russia on the last high-rise building in Bakhmut.
There was some confusion earlier about the status of Bakhmut when President Zelensky said the city was only in their hearts, but his office clarified that he did not mean that the city had fallen. Russian fighters currently control most of Bakhmut, and their tactics of sending waves of men have gradually weakened the resistance of Ukrainian forces.
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However, Ukrainian forces claim to be making advances on the outskirts of the city. Analysts believe that capturing Bakhmut would be a symbolic victory for Russia, although it holds little strategic value.
The war in Ukraine has been a central topic at the G7 summit, and the US announced its willingness to allow its Western allies to supply Ukraine with advanced fighter jets including American-made F-16s.
Asked how confident he was about getting F-16s from his allies, Zelensky said: “We will be working on that, I’m sure… I cannot tell you how many – this is not a secret, we really don’t know.”
Read also: European, and US Allies Pledge Modern Weapons for Ukraine
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