Control over the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region of Ukraine passed to the Armed Forces of Russia. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reports this on Sunday, May 21 in a telegram channel.
“In the arthuman tactical direction as a result of offensive operations of the Vagner assault detachments, with the support of artillery and aviation of the southern group of troops, the liberation of the city of Artemovsk was completed (Ukrainian name Bakhmut – approx.” Anadol “),” the department said.
The founder of the Russian PMC Vagner Evgeny Prigozhin previously reported that Bakhmut completely transferred to the control of Russian forces.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine refuted the full capture of Bakhmut by Russian forces. Closer in the evening, on May 20, Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Anna Maryar, reported to Telegram that the situation in Bakhmut is critical.
“In Bakhmut, heavy battles. The situation is critical. At the same time, our troops keep the defense in the” Airplane “area, – the deputy minister wrote.
According to her, Ukrainian defenders control certain industrial and infrastructure facilities of this area and the private sector.
Speaker of the Eastern Group of Armed Forces of Armed Forces Sergei Chervaty said that messages about the capture of Bakhmut by Russian forces are not true.
“Armed Forces of Ukraine perform an operation through the environment of the city of Bakhmut, but the city itself can leave,” he added.