In the ongoing conflict between pro-Russia Wagner group and forces loyal to Kyiv in Ukraine's Bakhmut district, the mercenaries for the Wagner group are claiming to have made gains, but the Ukrainian military has reported that they are still holding on.
The conflict has been raging since last summer, and both sides have been campaigning heavily for control of Bakhmut. According to Reuters, the Wagner group claimed to have taken two areas on the northern and southern outskirts of the city. The Russian army paratroop units have reportedly been supporting the advance of the Wagner group by holding back Ukrainian forces on the flanks.
Serhiy Cherevatyi, the spokesperson for Ukraine's eastern military command, has described the battles in Bakhmut as "bloody battles unprecedented in recent decades". He added that the soldiers are doing everything in their power to grind down the enemy's combat capability and break their morale. Despite the claims made by the Wagner group, Cherevatyi expressed confidence that the Ukrainian forces are successfully holding on to the city