On Saturday, Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin said that Russian forces had gained full control over Bakhmut. The Russian Defense Ministry later confirmed that the liberation of the city had been completed.
"I think no […] For today, Bakhmut is only in our hearts," Zelenskyy was quoted as saying by Reuters on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, when asked if the city is still under Kiev's control.
Later, Zelensky's spokesman denied that the Ukrainian president acknowledged losing Artemovsk.