Russian forces are still under pressure

Vienna Duplicate questions can lead to confusion: Volodymyr Zelensky answered on the sidelines of the G-7 summit when a reporter asked him if Bakhmut was still in Ukrainian hands or if the Russians had occupied the city.

This was initially seen by some media outlets as confirmation of the capture of the eastern Ukrainian city, which was later denied by the President’s office. As Selinsky said on Sunday after the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan: “Bashmut is not occupied by Russia today.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrated Bakhmut’s capture on Saturday. However, it is indisputable that the Ukrainians withdrew from practically the entire city area after nearly ten months of fighting. In the past few weeks, they had only a few high-rise buildings on the western outskirts of the city.